


Change the World

by Falkyns_Flight



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Sokka, Badass Zuko, Fire Lord Zuko, Minor Character Death, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Realistic, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-07-12 01:10:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 142,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7078279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Falkyns_Flight/pseuds/Falkyns_Flight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a seventeen-year-old girl is sucked into the Avatar world, she doesn't know what she's getting into. To her, it's just a story, a TV show. She never thought that it would be anything like this, a world with its own unique languages, cultures, and people who are more than pieces of art. Suddenly, the thought living in a world like this at the brink of war isn't so fun anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Earthquake

Earthquake

There comes a time in everyone's life when a change must occur. Whether it is when you turn a certain age, or when you go to college, or when you become a parent. It is part of the natural order. My life was no different, except my life changed in a rather drastic way, and it all started with an earthquake.

It wasn't unheard of for earthquakes to hit my part of the world but they were rarely strong enough to cause problems. I had experienced an eartquake only once in my life. I was five years old back then and the only reason I had recognized it was because my mom had just finished an earthquake safety unit with me.

My day started on a long weekend. It was Saturday, and I was enjoying the warm summer sun. It was one of those days where you don't want to do anything. I was just enjoying my time, wandering around town. As I walked down main street, I passed by a small restaurant, which was one of the favorite places to eat in town, a family owned pizza place with a 60's theme. I forced a smile at the image of myself in the reflection, then moved on.

I was distracted by a rumble. I quickly looked to the highway, but there wasn't a single large truck or van going by. I frowned, a little confused but shrugged it off as nothing major.

It was then that the ground lurched under my feet and began shaking like it was having a seizure. Cars and trucks swerved and lost control, crashing into buildings, trees and each other. I heard people screaming, lose their footing and fall. There was another rumble, and the sound of rushing water came to my ears. I stood stalk still, stunned. Then the ground opened up beneath me. I screamed as a massive sinkhole formed under my feet. I was falling for a few seconds before I hit water feet first and was dragged under. A heavy current pulled at me. I struggled to get above the water. My head bobbed up, and I caught a gasping breath before being shoved under again.

I don't know how long I was thrown about. I was sure I had a few bruises and cuts but if that was all I had at the end of this I would be thankful. That was when my head was shoved into a wall. I gasped, losing the little bit of precious air I had been holding. My head felt fuzzy, and I knew that I was going to faint. I was going to die.

When I woke up, I was dimly aware of not being alone. There were other people near me, around me. My left arm was stiff and sore, my body ached and sweated. I was uncomfortable, hot, hungry and thirsty. Slowly I managed to swim through the fog of desires into the real world, surfacing slowly.

"...okay?"

"She's healing as well as can be expected Katara. Her fever broke last night. We seem to be through the worst." The voice was old and worn, the voice of an old woman. I was just able to assess that through the lifting fogginess of my head.

"Does that mean she'll survive?" This voice was also female but significantly younger than the previous speaker. This was probably Katara. I paused mentally. The name seemed familiar, but I couldn't focus enough right now to place it firmly.

"Only if she wakes up. She's been asleep for three days. We've been lucky that we could even manage to get her to drink anything at all. Still, if she falls into the living death there is nothing we can do about it besides send her to the Spirit World." My needs were growing, and I was beginning to feel tired again but what the elder woman had said scared me. The Spirit World. I couldn't place the name anymore than the girl's, but I could figure out that it was the realm of spirits, in other words, the realm of the dead.

I was not going to die. 

My eyes felt like someone had cemented them closed but I forced them open. It was only a little bit, but it was enough for me to come fully into myself. Struggling to get the attention of my caretakers I tried to speak. Only a pathetic moan passed my lips. The smaller blurry figure in blue, the one who I assumed was the younger speaker noticed my moving.

"She's awake Gran-gran!" Katara said excitedly. 

My body felt heavy, and I wanted to sleep again. I smelt a strong scent of something edible and managed to open my mouth. I tiredly allowed them to spoon the food into my mouth like an infant. Despite my hunger, my stomach filled up quickly. I fell asleep again soon after.

I must have woken up for short periods several times in the next couple of days. At least that's what Katara and her brother Sokka told me. During that time I hadn't understood where I was, being exhausted and weak from my ordeal. It was about five days after I had woken up for the first time that I began to realize what had happened to me.

I woke up. It wasn't slow or groggy, and I didn't want to go back to sleep. I had energy and for the first time since I had come here, I was able to sit up without the help of others. Looking around I saw that I was laying in a tent of some kind on a thick, blue sleeping bag with a tan colored blanket laying over my body. My left arm was still stiff, and now that I had the energy to be curious, I turned to look at it. My arm was fixed between two strong pieces of wood, tied firmly there with pieces of torn cloth. I looked down at myself and for the first time realized that I was all but naked. My clothes had been stripped and replaced by something like a small tube top that covered below and above my breasts. The rest of me was covered in bandages though I was pleased to see when I peered under the blanket that I had on a pair of underwear. Back above the blanket I noticed a bowl and spoon placed to the side of my bed full of stew. Picking the bowl up, I was surprised to see that both bowl and utensil were made from bone. Putting aside the urge to study the bowl further I quickly dipped the spoon into the thick broth and devoured the food there. The broth was thick, with chunks of something that reminded me a little of gelatin but I was too hungry to care.

That was when he entered. Before that moment, I hadn't put a lot of thought into what I had already heard and seen, too focused on curiosity and hunger. Then the boy walked in. He had brown skin, a wolf tail, blue clothes and equally blue eyes. The second I lay eyes on him my heart sped up to match that of a jackrabbits as everything I had experienced hit me like a sledgehammer. Katara, Gran-Gran, this boy here, Sokka Katara's brother. Oh. My. God. My heart had somehow jumped to my throat, and I stared at him with wide eyes. This couldn't be happening, despite how realistic it looked, despite how they didn't appear like cartoon people, I knew. I was in Avatar the Last Airbender.

I couldn't make a sound. I couldn't move. My breath started coming out in gasps, and I distantly realized that I was hyperventilating. The boy, Sokka spun and shouted something. Within seconds I had Katara and Gran-Gran helping me to calm down, rubbing my back and speaking soothingly to me. I took a deep breath and finally managed to calm down somewhat, my body still shaking like a leaf.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked, barely willing to believe what was in front of my eyes. Katara, ever kind and helpful explained softly.

"You're in the South pole. I'm Katara this is my grandmother, and the one who scared you was my brother, Sokka," she said. Despite the fact I knew it already, my brain froze on the South Pole. I was in another world, heck I was at the south pole of that world. Then I realized, my family probably thought I was dead, my body floating in some underground river. I realized that no one would ever search for it.

I began to cry. I was inconsolable. Katara was trying to calm me down, but I slapped her hand away with my right hand, before curling into a ball. I wanted to be left alone, luckily for me Gran-Gran knew that, and she guided both Sokka and Katara outside. I dimly registered Katara's protests, but I was to caught up in my grief. I cried for what my life would have been had that earthquake not happened I cried for my family who would never know my fate, and I cried because I was here and not there with them. I had never wanted to go home so badly.

I cried myself to sleep that night.

The next morning I was surprised by Katara sitting beside me.

 "Please don't panic again," she said, her body tense as if she expected to have to run to get help.

"I won't," I promised, I couldn't help but look away, feeling ashamed for my behavior yesterday. I didn't apologize I had every right to panic and cry.

"So what's your name?" she asked. I jumped and looked at Katara wide-eyed. She smiled, completely unaware of the conundrum she just stuck me in. How was I supposed to give my name? A name that was in no way remotely ATLA sounding. While I desperately mentally searched the names I had heard that could fit into this universe Katara continued.

"How old are you? How did you get here? Where do you come from? Are you a bender?"

I sighed, even if I gave her a different name, it would soon be obvious that it wasn't my name. I wouldn't respond to it fast enough. How was I going to answer all these questions? Finally, I just decided to tell as much of the truth as she could understand and I could handle.

"My name is...," I sighed, "My name is Madison. I'm seventeen years old. Umm..." I paused to remember the other questions, "I don't know how I got here," I paused again. Where should I come from and how could I answer the bender question. I didn't know if I was a bender, and I was pretty sure that my hometown wouldn't be recognized. I could say it was a small earth kingdom town, though. "I'm not a bender, and I come from a small town on... Kangaroo Island." I supplied with a guilty smile.

When no suspicious questions came, I looked up. She hadn't noticed I was lying. Deciding to count my lucky stars I went for a change of topic.

"So... healer Katara, how long will I be stuck here with this?" I raised my stiff arm, rather surprised at how well a couple of wood shafts and cloth could work as a cast. Katara blushed deeply at my suggestion.

"Well I'm not a healer... but Gran-gran says that you'll be in bed for another five days and another week before the splint comes off." I nodded then cracked a smile, "I've put this poor arm through the wringer, this is the third time I've broken it,"

Katara looked shocked, "that could be bad. The bone might be getting easier to break. I can see-"

"At this point it is what it is, nothing we can do about it," I replied with a shrug.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Katara asked, "Did the Fire Nation separate you from your family?" I paused. It would be so easy to blame it all on the Fire Nation, but I didn't agree with that. Not every Fire Nation person was a sick bastard just like not all earth kingdom people were strong and resolute or all water tribe flowing and relaxed. Katara's master in the North had proved that one to me.

"No," I finally said after a moment, "it wasn't the fire nation. Just a natural disaster" I felt my eyes prickle and quickly wiped at them, "It doesn't matter," 

"Yeah it does," Katara stated softly coming up to sit beside me, "the fire nation came to this village eight years ago. They killed... a lot of people," I looked up at Katara. A lot of people believed that Katara is a whiny baby and a mary sue. When I looked at her now, though... all I saw was a fourteen-year-old girl who was hurting and had been forced to grow up too fast.

I frowned before leaning over to her and pulling her into an awkward hug. She stiffened then nervously returned it. I smiled, "Sorry but I couldn't help it. You're the same age as my little sister," I explained. Katara had been forced to grow up and become an adult, needing to be the woman of the house. Despite the fact that she was the younger she had to be the mother to her brother.

Silently I made an oath. If I was going to be in this world, then I wasn't going to stand idly by while these people got hurt. If I had any control over it, I would do my best to alleviate that pain without risking this world's ending. It would be hard, but I was willing to risk myself. The worst thing that could happen was death after all and I had already lived through that.

* * *

 

"There you go Maddi," Kanna said with a smile. I nodded looking at my arm which was finally free of its bindings. I carefully bent it. The muscle had atrophied, but I knew what would be needed to fix that issue. Weightlifting. Or in this case, as Kanna had it, hauling buckets of clean snow to be boiled into fresh drinking and wash water.

I sighed at the buckets she was pointing to and moved to pick them up.

"Is this necessary?" I asked. Kanna gave me a stern look, and I hurried out of the tent.

In the last two weeks, I'd somehow joined the water tribe. I'd begun to wear water tribe clothing, not that I had much choice given the fact that all my other clothes were destroyed beyond repair when they found me. My brown hair, an inch longer than my shoulders, had changed from being left loose to do what it willed to being worn in a short, three stranded braid. I'd also been given a nickname by the local population Palartok, which meant quiet. Katara had taken to calling me Pala since I called her Tara once. I told her I preferred Pala. She told me she preferred Katara, and that was the end of that.

My arm began to ache after the first trip, and I was quick to decide that the bucket with my weaker arm was going to hold less snow. Luckily I was not the only person doing this chore, so everyone didn't depend on upon my rather limited competence when it came to this icy land.

"Need some help there?" I looked up to see Sokka. He quickly took the bucket from my shaking arm, staring at me worriedly. Sokka was a lot nicer then I remembered on the show and a lot more than just comic relief. Sure his voice did still crack and boom from time to time and yes, he could be immature, but he was a sixteen-year-old boy. It was nothing beyond what I expected in the first place. Still occasionally like now, he showed incredible depth for someone who was comic relief for the first season and a half.

I had found that I had to remind myself less and less that they are more than just characters on a TV set. They are as real as I am.

"As much as I'd like to say yes don't you have warrior training to do? Besides, I need to do this. It'll strengthen up my arm, and that is something that needs to happen, as painful as it is." Sokka grimaced then took the bucket from me.

He walked with me for a moment before speaking up, "What warrior training? Who am I kidding? I can't teach these kids anything," he paused, "I wish dad were here, or even Bato, either one of them could help." I said nothing for a while before replying thoughtfully.

"You can teach them basics, some pretty neat tricks-"

"What's that going to do against the fire nation?" Sokka interrupted. I sighed and took the bucket back from him, using this action to make him fully pay attention to me. Sokka and Katara had become very close to me, not that I was surprised, they were the only children their age that had survived the attack of the Fire Nation and a shortage of food that came not long after, causing many people to starve to death. Even now food was scarce among this village, and they had little to barter with. They could barter with the few other villages on this pole, but few were doing better than they were.

I frowned deeply before turning to Sokka, forcing him to pay attention to me. "Sokka, forgive me for taking a leaf from Katara's book but you can give them hope, and a role model to look up to. These boys don't have any male role models other than you,"

"You're determined and intelligent, trust yourself," I said, grinning at his shocked expression as I took the bucket from his hands and walked away. 


	2. The Flying Boy

The Flying Boy

I couldn't help but stare at Appa. The giant bison seemed to think I was nothing important as he bellowed at me. Turning away, I shook my head and berated myself for turning down Katara's offer to go fishing with her and her brother. Not that there was any way I could have known that it would only take a month before I would be dealing with Aang. The story I knew seemed to have decided not to wait until I was ready but move at its own time. While that was just like life back home, I now was unsure of how to progress from here "Pala you'll never guess what happened!" Katara cried as she ran from the tent where a deeply sleeping Aang lay, Sokka close behind. I grinned, she had already told the entire story to Gran-gran, so I allowed myself a moment of fun.

"You found an Airbender named Aang, and his bison called Appa frozen in an iceberg?" the look on their faces was priceless, so I allowed myself a bark of laughter before explaining, "I already heard, you weren't exactly quiet when you told Kanna. Plus," I paused to nod towards Appa, "a giant buffalo is staring at me" Katara's face fell. I winced.

"Sorry, you can tell me more if you'd like," I regretted that choice rather quickly as I was given a very detailed summary of the story, all from Katara's point of view with Sokka piping up every once in a while. I was distracted from the story when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a bald head peer out of the tent. I smiled lightly as Aang slipped back inside. Interrupting a brewing argument over whether Appa actually could fly I tapped Katara on the shoulder.

"Katara? You're guest's awake," Katara's eyes widened. She spun around and took off. I chuckled as Sokka shook his head at her excitement.

"Someone's happy," I commented lightly. The young warrior snorted,

"Yeah that's all I need another bender," I frowned at him,

"You should be happy for her she's finally met someone who can bend as well." Sokka huffed but nodded before storming off to ridicule Aang about his bending. I chuckled under my breath as Aang took his staff back with a concentrated gust of wind. All laughter was forgotten when he took off into the air.

I had watched Katara waterbend before. In real life it amazed me at the sheer beauty of water, floating through the air. Moving to the will of one mortal girl. I had forgotten that Katara was little more than a talented beginner, playing at bending. The sight of Aang taking to the air caused me to gasp along with the entity of the tribe.

It looked as though he was flying. My heart began beating a hundred miles a minute. I couldn't take my eyes off him. There will never be enough words to describe the feeling I had when Aang began to glide. It was like a dance. He was the air, free and unrestrained. Just watching him in his natural element, I felt free as though my soul was flying with him. I felt a strange yearning build up inside of me. I wanted to fly like that.

Aang's eyes met mine. For a second time froze. Then he smiled, made another loop, flew right over my head before landing behind me. I watched as he approached, my ears were suddenly cold. Sometime during his display my hood had fallen off.

"HI!" he held out a hand, "I'm Aang, and you are..."

"Maddi," I replied breathlessly, reaching out and grasping his small hand in my own firmly "but most people here call me Pala. That was... the most amazing thing I have ever seen," Aang beamed. He was a cute kid, but my mind was focused on replaying the bending.

"You liked it that much?" he asked, gray eyes bright, "thanks, I've never been complimented like that before." Aang curiosity took over his expression for a second before he asked, "are you water tribe?" in a disbelieving voice. I shook my head.

"No, Earth Kingdom. I ended up here after a boat crash," I shift from foot to foot, unable to met his gaze, the lie burning on my lips. Aang looked a little suspicious for a second or two but quickly shrugged it off.

"I was just wondering. You didn't look water tribe." Then he bounced up into the air and took off, stopping beside Katara with a big grin. He said something to Katara, who laughed and replied. Sokka looked cross, shooting a glare at Aang before storming off.

I stayed in the background for most of the day, focusing on chores and keeping an eye on Aang and my friends as much as possible. Despite that, I was still caught off guard by a high pitched whine. I jumped and turned to look up at the sky. A brilliant red flare glowed there, ominous in the pale blue. I wasn't the only person who saw it. The woman who had been working beside me, a sweet lady named Sura, let out a panicked wail. Sura and I had often worked together, but it had taken her a week before she had spoken to me. She had admitted one day that she had trust issues, especially with foreigners. I told her about one of my friends who had issues with anxiety. We had gotten along quite well after that. I dropped the bucket and ran over to her, worried by her panicked cries.

"Sura, what's wrong?" My approach did nothing to calm her. Instead, she screamed even louder, backing away. I stepped back as well, widening the space between us. Luckily Kanna wasn't far away. She approached Sura slowly and began speaking a language I had often heard while living here. It was the language of the Water Tribe. The words themselves had no meaning to me, but the tone is sweet, and that itself seemed to calm Sura down. Kanna gently took my crying friend by the arm and guided her into a tent. I watched, stunned torn between staying away and going to comfort my friend. Another of the women I work with a mother of two named Buniq placed her dark hand on my shoulder.

"I know you mean well Pala," she spoke softly but firmly, "but this is a hurt that Sura has lived with for a long time. Kanna knows how to calm her." I frowned but nodded. Worry was filling my heart for my friend.

* * *

 

It was a child who raised the alarm, letting us know of the return of Aang and Katara. As the village moved out to met them, I found myself standing behind an irate Sokka, thinking over the events of this scene. Sokka was going to banish Aang from the village. When I had first watched the show, I had believed that Sokka was acting rashly because he didn't like Aang. Now, knowing the rules they followed, he had the right as the oldest male in the village. The only one who had the right to contradict him was Kanna. After the incident with Sura, I couldn't disagree with the decision Sokka was going to make. Katara stopped when we made eye contact, then looked around to take in her entire village standing outside, waiting. The children of course, already friends with the playful monk ran out to meet them. Sokka quickly fixed that. 

"I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Aang blue eyes narrowed in anger. Katara frowned and moved to correct her brother.

"Aang didn't signal the Fire Navy," she tried to reason, "it was an accident." Sokka sent a pointed look at his sister, but she met his glare with her steady gaze.

"Yeah, there was this booby trap," Aang explained innocently, "and we... well, we boobied right into it." Sokka, distracted by Aang's explanation, looked away from Katara. She quickly met my gaze again, worry dragging her eyebrows down. I winced then shook my head in reply. I noticed Kanna moving forward to stand beside her grandson. I quickly backed off, giving her space.

"Katara, you know the dangers of going on that ship." The old woman reminded Katara, disappointment heavy in her words.

"Don't blame Katara," Aang insisted, "it was my fault. Blame me." Sokka scoffed, gloved hands tightening around the bone spear he was holding.

"So! The intruder confesses! Warriors! Away from the enemy, the foreigner is banished from our lands."

I was expecting Katara to argue with Sokka, tell him that he was making a mistake. Instead, she looked at me, her blue eyes bright with that ever-present hope, hair loopies blowing into her eyes.

"Maddi?"

My stomach sank. Silently I asked God why she involved me in this. I didn't know what to do. If I refused would I be able to keep what I knew true or had my mere presence changed events already? Was fate set in stone or flexible and what was worse? I shook my head. I didn't want this responsibility. My eyes began to sting. I looked away. I couldn't meet her gaze, afraid to see disappointment or betrayal reflected back at me.

"Fine!" Katara snapped, "Then I'm banished too. Come on Aang we don't need them anyways." I kept my eyes rooted on the snow.

 _"Maybe you should go since obviously I'm not as important as some stupid book!"_ My sister's voice rang in my head. I tried to push the memory away. That fight had been so long ago, why was it coming back now of all times?

 _"Fine, I was going to anyways. Who cares about some stupid pictures, it's not as if anyone important drew them."_ My voice echoed mockingly in my ears. That particular fight between my sister and I had nearly been the end of our relationship. I had wanted to go to the release of the last Harry Potter book with one of my close friends at the time. We had it all planned out. Then I found out that the same night the book was coming out, my sister's art was going to go on display for the first time. She had made me promise two months earlier that if her picture made it as one of top ten or so young artists who entered I would go to see it. I had told her I was going to the Harry Potter night. She had been betrayed and angry. The fight that had broken out between us made things very tense between us for months after even though in the end I had decided to show up for her art and buy the book later. To this day, I considered it the greatest mistake of my life. Then again I had told my sister I didn't think she was important. What sort of sister did that?

"Pala?" I jumped, dragged out of my thoughts by Sokka's voice. He was looking at me, and I realized that I hadn't even noticed that everyone else was returning to the village. His brow furrowed his blue eyes solemn, "You're not mad at me too, are you?" I quickly shook my head, wiping at my eyes which felt like hot needles were poking them.

"No. I'm... not mad,"

Why did I waste so much precious time fighting her when we should have been cherishing our time together? A dry sob escaped my lips. I missed my family, my mom, dad, little sister. I wanted to be with them. I never asked for this. Why should I be the one to lose everything? Why did I have to be left alone? I was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug from Sokka. I stiffened, shocked at the gesture. Sure I had hugged people before. I had even hugged people here in this world, but mostly it was Katara and the occasional child. Sokka hugging me was something beyond my understanding. It didn't make any sense whatsoever. Sokka didn't explain, he just took my gloved hand in his and led me back to the village. In the back of my mind, I realized that Sokka was almost as tall as me.

The second we were in the village. Sokka sent me to the tent I shared with Katara to wash up before he went into warrior mode. He shouted at the kids he had been training then tore off into his tent to prepare. Once inside my tent, I washed and dried my face. Dipping the cloth into the warm water and rubbing it roughly over my face, wiping away imaginary tears. Calming myself down and shaking myself out of the selfish trail of thought I had been stuck in I looked it over mentally. How could I think I was the only one to lose everything. Katara and Sokka had lost their mother, and their father had left them afterward, while Aang had lost his entire race. Who was I to whine and snivel and cry? I shook my head you're seventeen, not ten grow up girl, I told myself quietly.

The sound of screams and cracking ice broke me from my thoughts. Zuko was here already. That was a lot faster than I had expected. Then again, I had no real way of determining just how long it was between each scene in an episode. I quickly pulled my hood up and hurried out of the tent. I was the last one out of the tents. Women and children cowered, nervously eyeing the gigantic red and black metal boat sitting halfway through the wall of snow. I looked for Sokka and let out a breath of relief to see him stuck knee deep in snow. He may not have been happy, but at least he was okay. I noticed with interest he was wearing the full makeup to go with his warrior's outfit. I had always felt rather disappointed that this was the only time we got to see it.

I watched from the entrance of my tent as the metal plank slowly lowered, sharing its protests with the world in the form of a slow groan. There was silence for a moment before the first man in red began walking down the plank. They all wore the same uniform only Zuko wore no white mask. Instead, he left his face open to be seen by all, making it very clear who the leader of this group was. As he approached the majority of the tribe, he paid no attention to Sokka, who was struggling to break out of the snow. As he came closer, I got a good look at his face. Without the hair softening it he looked fierce, harsh, cold. His yellow/gold eyes shone down on us, reminding me of a wolf. His scar was what I found myself paying the most attention to. The skin was melted, brown around the outside, a brilliant pink closer to the eye. He had no eyebrow above, and his eyelid was all but sealed shut, leaving only a thin line of gold. It made him terrifying. Cautiously I slid my way to join the rest of the Water Tribe, hoping I wasn't noticed.

"I'm looking for the Avatar," Zuko snapped, his eyes cold as they looked over the entire population of the small village. He strode forwards, grabbed Kanna and dragged her out, ignoring Katara's shocked cry, "he'd be about this age," he called, "master of all elements." I looked around. All the water tribe people looked at each other, thoroughly confused. No one knew that Aang was the Avatar yet. The six soldiers behind him did nothing, just standing there, watching. Waiting for one of us to do something so they could say they burned us to a crisp for a good reason. I was distracted by my thoughts when Zuko's fist caught fire. I felt my heart lurch when a loud wail rang out. For a split second, I thought Sura had panicked again. Instead, Sokka lurched out of the snow, the bone club raised. Zuko, given plenty of warning by the 'war cry', knocked Sokka to the ground and tossed the club away. Zuko's hand once again caught fire. Sokka threw his boomerang in retaliation. Zuko barely noticed, just turning a little to the right as he advanced on Sokka.

The snowball hit him in the face.

He turned, eyes promising a slow death. I pulled away, face brilliant red in embarrassment, knees shaking in fear. Internally I was screaming at myself for being an idiot. I just threw a snowball at a guy who could fry me. Another part of my brain, a little less rational then the other was repeating over and over that he would become a good guy. He wouldn't kill me. Zuko took one step forward.

Sokka's boomerang caught him in the back of the head, sending his helmet flying and sending him toppling forwards. I jumped out of the way, breath hitching. The snow around him sizzled and vaporized. Zuko stood, anger radiating from his form. This time both his hands caught fire.

"You'll pay for that peasant."

I stammered something, fear causing me to choke. Forget good guy. He was going to murder me right here and now. I wished I was brave enough actually to argue, mock him, even the ability to say something besides a squeak would be useful. Sokka grabbed a spear from one of the children. To my shock, Zuko snarled, "stop wasting my time. Just tell me where the Avatar is and I'll leave." I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Aang should be coming anytime now I needed to keep Zuko distracted so he doesn't burn or kill anyone. I opened my mouth, but I didn't get any farther. A penguin slid past us, once again knocking Zuko into the snow and covering everyone else in a good sized blanket. The penguin stopped and pulled itself to a stand, flapping its four wings before waddling off. In its wake was a familiar boy, looking a little confused at his abrupt dismount.

"Hi... Aang," Sokka grumbled at the twelve-year-old. Zuko pulled himself back to his feet this time, apparently sick of the games. Luckily Aang didn't fool around. He stood, his staff upright at his side.

"Looking for me?"

"You're the Airbender?" Zuko asked incredulous, "You're the Avatar?"

 


	3. Ripples in the Pond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hi... Aang," Sokka grumbled at the twelve-year-old. Zuko pulled himself back to his feet this time apparently sick of the games. Luckily Aang didn't fool around. He stood, his staff upright at his side.
> 
> "Looking for me?"
> 
> "You're the Airbender?" Zuko asked incredulous, "You're the Avatar?"

I stared at Aang and Zuko as the two moved slowly. Circling each other. Zuko seemed disgusted that this child, dressed in an apprentice monk's garb, armed with only a wooden staff was the one he had spent years looking for. Aang on his part remained focused and solemn.  


"I've worked years, meditating, studying, training for this. You're just a little kid!" He spat. Aang paused, cocking his head in confusion.  


"Well, you're just a teenager." The two began circling again, like boxers in a ring, looking for the right moment to strike.

Zuko's fist shot out, sending a stream of fire at Aang. The young Airbender spun it away with his staff. More fire, once again Aang protected himself. I could all but feel the tribe slowly backing away until the only ones were Aang, Zuko, and I. Another wave of fire, this one much larger, flew towards Aang. He once again spun his staff. This flame wasn't fully dispersed. Remnants of the fire flew over the population of the tribe. I heard several people scream. Suddenly the fire was gone, and Aang was standing erect, staff by his side.

 

"If I go with you will you leave everybody alone?" Zuko made no reply but a single nod. He pointed his soldiers at Aang. I watched as Aang was restrained and marched up the metal plank. Katara refused just to stay in place. She rushed towards the plank, stopping a good foot away from the bottom.  


"Aang!"

"It's okay Katara, take care of Appa for me while I'm gone," Aang smiled causally as though this was nothing to be worried about. The plank rose until I could no longer see him. The boat slowly pulled out of the ice and vanished around an iceberg.

 

Everything was silent for a long time.

 

"Aang was the Avatar?" Katara murmured softly. I looked at my friends for a moment before walking away.

I had a bison to find.

In the end, it was Appa who found me. The two-ton behemoth lowed when he saw me and hurried over. I helped close the gap by approaching the giant animal. Appa sniffed me, his breath washing over me, warm and musty. He lowed again as if asking 'where is Aang?' I petted his nose before looking around and trying to figure how I'd get on. Appa, to my surprise, dropped to the ground before looking at me expectantly.

 

"Thanks, Appa. I owe you a treat." Appa grunted in reply. I laughed before using his legs to clamber up to his back. Ignoring the saddle completely, I carefully stepped onto his head and grabbed the reigns between his horns.

 

"Okay boy," I said, "Aang needs our help. Yip-yip!" To my delight, Appa responded to my plea by slowly ambling across the plain. I didn't ask him to fly. My mind was preoccupied with what had occurred. Had I done anything to change the course of events and if I had would it help or harm? The possible future of this world could be decided by my choices. I could not, would not sit idly by and watch my life pass by me. Besides, I had made an oath. I pulled myself from my thoughts. I was over thinking this. If I paid to much attention on what was supposed to happen, I would become too scared to act at all. I leaned back on Appa's head. The sky glowed yellow turning the snow into a plain of molten gold. It was beautiful.

"Appa!" I looked up. Katara was running at us, waving. A huge smile almost split her face. Sokka stood next to the crack in the ice, a canoe filled with items for a long trip beside him.

"I thought you guys might want a lift!" I called. Katara looked shocked for a split second before grinning again.  


Appa was loaded very quickly, all three of us working together made the job easy. Then we climbed on and headed off. Katara and I took Appa's fuzzy head while Sokka lounged in the back. I clutched the reigns and snapped them to a cry of 'yip-yip'. Appa groaned and lowered himself to the ground. I could feel the great muscles tensing. Then he shot into the air. My heart jumped to my throat but after the initial shock, I let out a whoop of excitement. Sokka and Katara cried out as well, shock and excitement evident in their voices. Once Appa leveled out above the water, Katara looked at me.

"Do you know where they are?"

"No," I admitted, "but they can't have gone far. They've only been going for half an hour tops," Katara nodded absently.

  
"Besides," I added, "they're going to the Fire Nation, we know the general direction they're heading."  


It was Sokka who spotted the ship first. As we got closer, I was able to see Aang and Zuko on the deck. Both stopped and looked up when the dark shadow of Appa blocked them from the sun. I grinned and waved when they saw us. Aang smiled and waved back. He didn't expect the attack that came from Zuko. I should have.

Aang hit the water hard. Even from here I could hear the slap of his back as he impacted. I knew just how cold the water here was. Hypothermia was a real danger that killed just as surely as drowning. A scream tore through me. Katara shouted his name. Sokka stared at the water, unable to say a word.

I didn't know Aang. Not as an individual at least but I knew of him. I had watched him on TV and come to care for him. Aang was a smiling, naive boy who grew to become a strong, able young man. He was an optimist, was good with animals and was willing to give a second chance to anyone if they were just willing to ask.

Later Sokka would tell me that when Appa swept low to the ship, I didn't wait for him to land. I jumped. I didn't remember any of it. One moment I was sitting on the bison's head, the next I was on the metal deck of Zuko's ship. My legs were burning, my hand stinging with bleeding knuckles while Zuko was doubled over, gasping for breath.

  
The last two weeks or so I had been working more manual labor than I had ever imagined possible in my life. My muscles had become stronger than I had ever thought of. However, I wasn't the only one with muscles. Zuko was ripped and wearing armor. It was simply because I had surprised him that I was able to effect him at all. I didn't wait for him to get his bearings. He barely had time to straighten before I went to slap him. My hand never connected. Zuko's hand caught mine around the wrist. I started as he glared at me.

  
Aang shot out of the water. He hung there above the ship, suspended, eyes and tattoos glowing. Zuko in shock let go, and I stumbled back. The avatar state was terrifying, every primal instinct inside me was screaming run. I quickly backed up, making plenty of distance between Zuko and myself. Aang dropped onto the ship with enough power to make the metal shake. The water he was controlling swung around, knocking off all the soldiers on deck, including Zuko. I stared at Aang amazed. He was so small, his head was about level with my chest, and yet he held so much power. Aang turned to me, still in the Avatar state and touched my gloved hand.  


A current of electricity ran through my body, and suddenly it wasn't Aang standing there but Avatar Kyoshi. The tall female warrior dressed in green looked down at me, regal as a queen.  


"Hello Madison," she said, "I was wondering when I would get to talk with you."

Two things struck me at once. The first was that this was Avatar Kyoshi, the woman who created not only Kyoshi island but also the Kyoshi warriors. It was the second realization that caused my heart to leap.  


"Do you know a way to send me home?" I blurted out excitedly, "is that why you contacted me." Throughout my time in this world, I had thought upon occasion that while the people here wouldn't know how to send me back home one of the avatars or even a spirit might. I would be able to see my family and friends again. I would be able to see him again. I looked at Kyoshi, hoping with everything in me that she knew a way to get me home. I didn't belong here in this world, and maybe she knew that and was here to fix it. Kyoshi looked at me, and her blank face changed to one of sorrow.  


"I'm sorry Madison. Neither I nor any another avatar has come across this sort of situation before."

"Then why did you contact me," I snapped, "how did you contact me? I'm not in the spirit world am I?" I looked around, but my surroundings hadn't changed, they just seemed to be on pause. Katara was halfway off Appa, suspended by air. Sokka was hurrying down the bison's tail back to me. Kyoshi shook her head her makeup making it hard to identify with her.

  
"No. I'm contacting you from within your mind. Although I probably could have brought you to the spirit world as you've been there before."  


"I have?"

  
"Yes and that is part of the reason I am here. You passed through the spirit world before coming to the south pole. Your presence, even in the spirit world has been like a pebble tossed into a calm pond." She paused before continuing, face serious. "The full effects of your existence here has yet to be seen, but they soon will be." I frowned.

"So what do you want me to do?"

  
"Nothing, there is no way to stop this. Even sending you home would not stop the changes you have already created. I simply ask that you do what you think is right. Only you can act upon the knowledge you have. Remember, that knowledge will not be relevant forever." I nodded before looking away nervously. Kyoshi refused to let me get away so quickly she caught me in a piercing gaze, "Do not worry about your actions too much. A single butterfly moth flaps a wing-"

  
"And causes a hurricane, I know the theory."

"Then you have no reason to fear it," Kyoshi assured before vanishing, leaving Aang in her place. Time continued as the Airbender's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and his legs collapsed from under him. I quickly grabbed him before he could hit the ground and eased him down to the cold metal.

 

Katara and Sokka rushed over to make sure he was okay, but I waved them off.

"I'll get him to Appa, Katara can you watch our backs, Sokka grab his staff for me okay?" Aang's eyes fluttered open.

"Don't say anything Aang," I told him gently, "I have it covered." He nodded faintly as I slowly helped him back to his feet. Once he was standing I guided him to Appa. As we walked, he began to lean on me less and less so by the time we were at the bison's tail he was able to scramble on himself. Katara rushed by next, scampering up the bison's tail. Sokka came last, boomerang in hand causing me to think that he had to cut himself out of the ice. I was right behind Sokka to get to Appa's saddle. Aang, sitting on his bison's head snapped the reigns "yip-yip."

"Pala, you're bleeding." I looked up at Katara. I had forgotten about my split knuckles. Now that I had been reminded of them though they began to burn. I looked at my hand and winced. All four knuckles of my right hand were split and bleeding and some of the blood had dried around the wound. Katara took my hand with a practiced gaze looked it over, assessing the damage. She was about to speak when Sokka cried out. On instinct both of us ducked.  


Aang went soaring over our heads, flying towards the giant ball of fire shooting towards us and batted it aside with his staff. The fireball hit the side of one of the icebergs causing it to collapse on one end of Zuko's ship. Aang flew backward and was quickly caught by Katara, Sokka and I. The three of us pulled the young Airbender back onto the saddle. As soon as Aang was safe, Katara dug into the pack perched on the end of Appa's saddle. She pulled out a brown bag that I recognized as a medical kit. Inside would be a bone bowl, a splint, bandages, salves for cuts, burns and bruises, items to ward of restless spirits and anything else Kanna could think off that would ease the journey. Katara, true to form pulled a small jar of ointment out of the bag and began spreading it on my injury. While she worked, she began to talk as she was wont to do.

"Sokka, Aang are either of you hurt?" Both boys shook their heads, but Katara didn't seem to believe either of them. I winced as my knuckles began to sting even more than before.

"Ow."

  
"Sorry, this salve is going to burn for a bit, but it will stop infection. I think you'd rather not lose your hand." I nodded in agreement. Back at home, I would have believed it was a complete over exaggeration here, though if an infection wasn't treated right away, it could lead to blood poisoning or lock jaw, both of which were fatal. I felt slightly guilty when I realized that illnesses that I was completely immune to were not only still prevalent but lethal for thousands of people in this world every day. It made me feel like I had cheated somehow. Once Katara was done wrapping my hand, she moved on to the boys. Sokka had nothing but a couple of bruises, and they both agreed that the salve needed to be saved for more important things. Aang had a couple of nasty rope burns on his wrists, but Katara was sure they wouldn't need treating.  


After Katara had been assured that everyone was going to be okay, she leaned back on Appa's saddle allowing herself a moment to calm down. Aang crawled to the edge of Appa's saddle and sat there, balanced on one foot. There was silence for a long time. Finally, Katara spoke.

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar, Aang?" Aang didn't reply for a moment, too busy staring into the yellow and pink sky. He didn't even look in our direction but kept his eyes firmly fixed anywhere but us.  


"Because... I didn't want to be." Sokka and Katara looked at each other with puzzled expressions, almost as though they couldn't understand. I paused and tried to look at it from Aang's perspective.  


"I guess it was a lot of responsibility to thrust suddenly on a twelve-year-old," I said, keeping one eye fixed on Aang to see his reaction. Aang nodded, still not looking at us. I sighed. Maybe going to sleep would be the best thing for this particular issue. Katara seemed to be thinking along the same lines.  


"I don't know about you, but it's getting late. How 'bout we pull out the sleeping bags and sleep on it." Aang nodded once again before hopping onto Appa's head. The three of us still on the saddle shared a look. Aang was upset about this, and I was beginning to doubt that he would recover from whatever it was bothering him. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what it was. I decided to leave it for whenever he would be willing to share. I smiled and touched Katara's shoulder.

"Leave him to his thoughts," I murmured, "Sometimes people just need to be alone." Katara nodded and passed me the sleeping bag she was holding. I accepted it graciously before pulling off my thick outer garments and boots then crawling into bed. A few seconds later Katara took her place beside me, Sokka to her right.  


I lay in bed, staring up at the stars for a long time. Everything had happened so quickly, and I needed time to fully process it all. Zuko was clearly a lot more dangerous then I had thought. He wasn't just some bad guy turned good Zuko was a real person who was struggling to find just who he was in the world. Undoubtedly he would pose a serious threat to us, a lot more serious of a threat then he had been portrayed as in the series. I was a little disappointed that I hadn't met Iroh as he was one of my absolute favorite characters and I wanted to get to know him as a person. On the other hand, he was the most skilled and dangerous fire benders in existence only topped by Ozai because he had no conscience.

 

I sighed deeply before deciding to take all the information I had in the Avatar world and its storyline. I had watched the entire series through twice and some episodes a lot more times. I had read both The Promise and The Search all the way through and had seen bits and pieces of The Legend of Korra but had been overall disappointed with the series except for some of the theories it had created.

My mind wandered over to my confrontation with Kyoshi. My stomach churned as what she had said finally hit home.  


Neither I nor any another avatar has come across this sort of situation before

Unless another spirit had come across this, I would never be going home. I felt a lump grow in my throat. Memories of my family assaulted me. I whimpered and screwed my eyes closed.

  
Go away. Go away. I don't want to think about this.  


Who knew what happened to my family? Had they died in the quake like I practically did? Were they alive but homeless or were they untouched but grieving because they thought I was dead. I tried to choke back a sob but failed. I cried myself to sleep that night. Inconsolable with the thought that I would never go home again.

 


	4. Story TIme

 

I woke in the predawn hours of the morning. Appa had landed sometime during the night on a small island, so I took the opportunity to stretch my legs. I put on my boots then I carefully crawled over Katara and Sokka and slid down Appa's tail.

The island was small, almost too small to be called an island. It was better described as a large rock with some lichens growing on it. Still, it was peaceful, nothing but the occasional bird flying overhead disturbed the sleepy nature of this place. Halfway through my walk I abandoned my boots and socks and walked barefoot. The stone was cold, and I wondered what it would be like to be able to move earth at my command. By now I knew I wasn't a bender, there was no possible way I could be. I had tried to mimic bending moves while I was at the pole when people weren't watching but had soon given up. I could barely replicate them, and even then I should have felt a connection. I should have started rising with the sun like firebenders or started feeling homesick like earthbenders would have. Waterbending was out of the question since it was the only bending type I had been capable of replicating in some manner since watching Katara. Besides Katara had told me she had discovered she was a bender by the time she was two years old, and that was only a year or two earlier than average. Chances of me being a bender... I sighed and shook my head. My toes were damp from the dew clinging to the lichens and mosses of this rock, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Finding a good place to sit, I dangled my bare feet off the rock and leaned back, enjoying the warmth of the slowly brightening sun. I just sat there for the longest time, allowing myself just to be.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize anyone was up yet," I opened my eyes and turned to look at the sheepish airbender standing behind me. I chuckled gently then patted the spot beside me.

"You can join me if you want, I don't mind," I leaned back and closed my eyes again. After a moment, I felt the presence of the young Avatar take a seat beside me. There was silence once again. To my surprise, it was Aang who broke it first.

"How's your hand healing?" I blinked and looked at him, then at my wrapped knuckles. I shrugged.

"Healing. It doesn't hurt much anymore. I'll get instructions on how to care for it from Katara once she's awake," I paused and turned my full attention to him, "how are you doing?" Aang didn't answer for a moment which allowed me to take in his full appearance in greater detail. He was young with a round face that had plenty of baby fat, and bright eyes wide with innocence. He was a child, and my heart ached at the realization of how quickly this twelve-year-old would be forced to grow up. He was sitting in a lotus position, quietly staring out across the water. 

"Okay." I looked at him.

"So you're okay?" Aang looked at me and nodded. I looked away. I really shouldn't have expected him to open up so quickly, but my perception of Aang was a happy go lucky kid who wouldn't ever let anything keep him down. Deciding to change the topic I decided to ask something that had been bothering me for some time.

"How do you sit like that?" Aang looked surprised and looked at me, then grinned. I was delighted to see the smile grace his face it was a blessing.

"I've always sat this way, all the monks could," he shrugged, "you can't do it?" I shook my head.

"Nope, not flexible enough I wasn't exactly the most athletic of children. I like to work my mind more than my body. Don't get me wrong I'll work hard but if it isn't needed I'd prefer not to put out the effort," Aang sent a curious glance in my direction.

"What did you do with your time then?" Aang asked. The question caught me by surprise. I fumbled for words before replying,

"I did a lot of reading I love learning about history and mythology. I was always a bit secluded as a kid I didn't like getting messy or run around, didn't make a lot of friends either," I added thoughtfully. It hadn't bothered me much when I was a child I preferred spending time with adults rather than kids the same age as I.

"I think you would have made a good airbender," Aang said after a moment of thought. I turned slightly and raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Why?"

"The way you reacted to my bending, that and you remind me of some of the monks in the temple," he grinned devilishly. Faking hurt feelings I put a hand on my chest.

"You think I'm like a bunch of crotchety old men?" I gasped before grinning and rubbing a hand over his bald head.

"It's probably what all the other kids thought of me too,"

Aang laughed at my words before pushing himself into the air with his bending and coming to a stand. He held out his hand to me.

"Are you coming, Madison?"

"It's just Maddi," I corrected lightly, taking the proffered hand and standing myself.

"Maddi,"

We walked back to Appa in comfortable silence, only stopping to pick up my footwear before continuing. It was only when we could see Appa that Aang stopped. I too stopped, curious. He turned to take me in.

"So why do Sokka and Katara call you Pala?"

"It's a nickname, short for Palartok which is a water tribe name they gave me." Aang looked surprised then he beamed. It was incredible how adorable he could make himself look, although I doubted he'd appreciate the term.

"Wow, I knew the tribe liked you, but that's amazing." I glanced at the chipper bender.

"I don't understand. What's so special about a nickname?"

"It wasn't just any nickname," Aang replied knowingly, "they gave you one of their names, and you accepted it. They made you one of their own to the point where you could have claimed all the same rights as anyone in the water tribe would have." I blinked at Aang, dumbfounded. They had essentially made me water tribe in all but blood. I looked at my interactions with the people there. Only Sura had been cautious after Katara started calling me Palartok. Everyone after that welcomed me and called me by that name. I had just assumed that it was an easier name for them and that Madison was too confusing for them to use. I had no idea what the name had represented for them. Aang was not unobservant.

"You didn't know? Sorry, I guess they should have explained it to you, but the Water Tribes believe in family. If you were alone with no one to care for you, they would have taken you in so you wouldn't be stranded. Oh, and by introducing yourself as Pala, you're acknowledging that you are part of the water tribe." Aang decided then that the conversation was over, took off, soaring over Appa. I heard a shout of surprise from Sokka, and Katara's voice, faint but with a laughing tone. I didn't move. I had been alone, grieving for my family who I would never see again and the southern water tribe had opened its arms to me, welcoming me as one of its own. Accepting me as one of their people, as one of their family. I had known that the water tribe took family bonds and ties very seriously and were known for making sure a child never went without family. I had never considered that they would do the same thing with a stranger, two actually since Aang would later be adopted into the tribe by Katara and Sokka, then officially became a member with Bato.

Sokka's head popped out from over Appa.   
"Hey, Pala what are you doing? Katara's made breakfast." I walk over. During the time Aang and I were talking, Katara had built a fire and Sokka had caught a fish. My mouth started watering at the sight of smoked fish. Sea prunes, a small fish that reminded me of shrimp and the occasional Arctic hare made up the majority of meals at the southern water tribe. I grimaced when I remembered sea prunes. The flavor was foul and potent, the food itself had a nasty jelly like consistency. Sea prune stew had been the first meal I had eaten at the pole and by the time I had realized the meal I was eating was that foul meal Aang had hated I had been eating it for over a week willingly. Besides, in the southern water tribe, it was pretty much eating what you are served or starve to death. Then, five days after that discovery I was called to help harvest sea prunes. I had been fine with it until I saw they were being harvested with cages. After seeing the sea prune in its full form, I discovered that it was the same as a creature in my world. The sea cucumber.

Needless to say, it took me a while to get over that little tidbit of information.

Sokka looked just as ravenous as I felt while Aang was looking ill at the sight of smoked fish wrapped in seaweed and lichens.

"Do you have something that… wasn't at one time alive?" I winced. Water tribe meals were all made with living creatures, the only thing that broke the trend was seaweeds. Occasionally merchants would come and as a treat we'd get dried fruits and bread, but that was it. Katara turned and began to dig through the bag, a look of intense concentration on her face. Finally, she surfaced with a good sized package and handed it over to Aang. I watched as Aang looked at our supply of seaweed.

"Are you sure, I don't want to take all of it."

"And we don't want you to starve. You didn't eat anything yesterday that I'm aware of." I stated firmly.

"Yeah but he went a hundred years without eating, he's probably okay," Sokka said, halfway through splitting the fish into portions.

"That's not the way it works," I replied sharply. All three sent me strange looks. I blushed and looked away.

"For Aang no time has passed, his body was preserved the second he was covered by that ice. In other words, Aang is only twelve years old and the last time he ate was whatever meal he ate before getting frozen. It's no different then if he suddenly jumped a hundred years into the future." I looked at my friends who seemed to be contemplating what I had said. I grinned, pleased that they took what I said so seriously. It was probably the best way that I could have explained cryogenics to them without using scientific terms. That would have just confused them, and I doubted that I would be able to get it all right.

After breakfast, we packed up and climbed onto Appa.

"So where are we going Aang?" Katara asked, leaning over Appa's saddle to stare at the young Avatar.

"I want to go to the Southern Air Temple first before heading anywhere else,"

"The North Pole?" Katara interrupted. Aang nodded, still gazing out at the sky over Appa's head. The bison didn't seem to need steering as he was heading home, so Aang was in the saddle with the rest of us. We fell silent. It was painfully awkward. There was no way I would survive this journey if the entire time were spent this way. I looked around. Sokka was lounging on the back of the saddle. Katara was sitting, every once in a while peering over the edge. Aang was on the opposite end of the saddle from Sokka, stroking the bison's fur. I, on the other hand, was sitting next to Katara, legs stretched out across the open part of the saddle.

"Are we going to spend the whole trip like this?" I finally asked, catching the attention of my traveling companions, "I mean if we're heading all the way to the Northern Water Tribe then back into the Earth Kingdom we'll need some way to pass the time." I seemed to catch the attention of Sokka and Aang, both appearing intrigued with the concept. Katara glanced in my direction, also curious but less than her brother or Aang.

"How?" Aang asked, "a game?" I beamed.

"Pretty much. The idea is that we can share stories, any story. One we were told as children, one that we learned from history, one we experienced or even ones we make up ourselves. How's that sound?" Aang stood and moved closer to the rest of us, eyes alight. Sokka sat upright, paying a lot more attention now. Katara raised an eyebrow.

"What are the rules?" She asked.

"No stories used to make a point to someone else in the group, no embarrassing stories that aren't your own, no stories to scare anyone without everyone agreeing first and…" I paused, "all stories must have a beginning and an end and must take at least three minutes to tell. In other words 'there was once a girl and boy who lived happily ever after'. Sounds good?" My friends nodded. Aang raised his hand.

"What is it Aang?" Katara asked.

"Can I go first?" The avatar questioned. I looked at the Water Tribe siblings. Both seemed supportive of it, so I nodded.

Aang launched us into a story the monks had told him. The story of the turtle-sheep and the sparrow-hare. I found myself quickly comparing it to the tale of The Tortoise and the Hare. The story was almost identical simply the animals were a little mixed up. Also, the moral instead of simply being stated at the end or left alone a lion-turtle made a cameo.

"And the lion-turtle said to them, 'With patience and determination, victory is assured.'" Aang finished. Katara appeared pleased with the story, but Sokka grimaced. When he opened his mouth to say something, I quickly interrupted.

"How 'bout Katara goes next?" I suggested. Sokka pouted and leaned back, sending a pointed glare my way. Katara went into the tale of how her family had discovered she was a bender. I laughed outright when I found out that she had completely soaked Sokka and the toy he had stolen from her. I let Sokka go next.

"Long ago, there lived an old man named Kanut who lived on his own. He was a widower, and all his children had long ago moved out of his home. Now he lived all alone on the outskirts of his village…"

I listened in awe as Sokka told the story of Kanut. The wily old man had come across the spirit of a polar-bear dog and had rescued it from demise. The spirit, indebted to Kanut had asked that its body be laid to rest. Kanut did so and each mile he passed he was tested by another spirit. After he succeeded and laid the animal to rest it told him that it would guard over his children and his children's children to repay the debt owed. To my surprise, Sokka looked somber after that story.

"Kanut was my grandfather's father and that polar-bear dog watches over our family to this very day."

"Wow," Aang gasped, "it's a true story?"

"Well it's supposed to be," Katara admitted, "Kanut was a very old man when he met the spirit, so we don't know how much was true and how much was his addled mind. So Maddi? You're next." The last sentence shocked me. It was unexpected, and she had called me Maddi.

"Uh, right… okay. Well-"

"What is your family like?" Katara blurted, "you know, your earth kingdom family I mean." Sokka and Aang jumped on the bandwagon then both asking questions about where I had come from and what had happened for me to end up in the South Pole. I quickly raised my hands, signaling silence.

"I suppose I can tell you some stuff just… if I don't want to answer something, promise you'll not press for the answer?" They nodded.

"Alright, one thing at a time, though." I sighed. This was going to be painful. I just knew it was going to dredge up old memories that I wasn't ready to face yet. Katara went first.

"What was your sister like?" I leaned back and smiled.

"Stubborn. She had a head as hard as a rock, and she wouldn't back down for anything. If I have the spirit of an Airbender, Aang, then she had either fire or earth. We were complete opposites. She would blow up at the smallest thing, and her temper was something to fear. Still, she had her sensitive side she just hid it thinking it made her weak." I smiled. Erin had always reminded me of Toph they shared many similar personality traits from what I saw on screen. Then again, I had seen a whole new side of all the characters so far, who was to say Toph wouldn't be the same.

"What about parents? Your mom and dad?"

"Hang on," Katara interrupted, "what did your sister look like." I laughed outright at the two siblings bickering.

"My sister looked a lot like me but shorter, a little darker when it came to colouration and more curves. We both looked a lot like our mom. It was always very clear that all three of us were related, only I'm taller than my mom. My dad… he had dark hair, almost black and equally dark eyes. Me and my sister have his eyes. I also got his height I'm only a little shorter than him. As for my parent's personality," I looked at my friends. Katara and Sokka were both paying attention, seeming interested in learning about my life. Aang, on the other hand, seemed puzzled about something. He was looking at me head cocked to the side. I decided to leave it be, for now, he'd probably ask for clarification over something later.

"Well, my mom was sweet. She loved children and was good with them. My dad was a joker his puns remind me a little of your good ones, Sokka. If you got him on a roll, he wouldn't stop no matter how hard you groaned. He also liked sports."

"Sounds like a man after my own heart." Sokka faked fainting, one hand on his heart. I rolled my eyes.

"Can I ask something?" Aang spoke, shifting nervously. I nodded, dusting off my sleeve absently.

"Why do you talk about your family as though they're not alive anymore?" I stared at Aang, shocked. I hadn't even noticed. Stupid, I chastised myself, they're not dead. They're not dead. Even if you'll never see them again. Sokka broke into another story suddenly, but the mood was ruined for me. How could I betray my family that way? I didn't know if they were dead, I was dead to them not the other way around and not by choice either. I sucked in a deep breath. The air was cold, and it stung my mouth and nose, but it helped knock me back into reality. Aang was looking embarrassed shyly he approached me.

"Sorry Maddi, I didn't know." I shrugged. Inside I felt numb, like ice was encasing my emotions, stopping me from feeling. We got back to storytelling again. This time, Aang told a story about him and Gyatso playing Pai Sho. Sokka and Katara told the story of The Great Blubber Fiasco, which caused Aang to laugh and me to smile. Then I told the story of Cinderella, the original Grimm tale. Slowly I started to enjoy the day. No one asked another thing about my family, and I allowed myself to forget. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N The Water Tribes believe in spirits just like everyone else in the Avatar world does, and it is a key component of their culture. I liked the story Sokka told about the spirit of a polar bear dog watching over his family it just fit with the way I'm building this society as well as the Sokka you never saw on the TV screen. As for the fact that Maddi is officially part of the water tribe, that was partially inspired by my sister who suggested that to give Maddi a new name that was water tribe there had to be something else behind it. Aang was aware of this because he has travelled all over the world with Monk Gyatso, true that was a hundred years ago but the age old traditions don't change that quickly anyways. 
> 
> As for Maddi/Pala, she's still trying to decide how to look at her situation. Should she treat her family as though they are dead and grieve for them properly or should she remain determined that they are alive and well and that they believe she is dead? Currently, she's refusing to believe they're dead, and she'll bounce back and forth on how to deal with this. Her family will be a sensitive topic for her for a while yet. She's putting off thinking about it for too long because she's afraid at this point and she's ashamed that her subconscious has identified them as dead.


	5. Daughters of Kyoshi

The southern air temple was beautiful with intricate designs and carvings and soft colors that reminded me of a sunset. Why was the wind picking up? I spun from where I stood. Suddenly there were bones all around me... airbender bones. In the center was a huge whirlwind. Aang.

"Aang, I know you're hurting." That was Katara's voice. I couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"I know what it is like to lose everything, what it is like to be alone, but you're not alone." My voice.

"Pala's right Aang, the airbenders may be gone, but you've got a new family. Sokka, Pala, and I. We're your family now."

I jolted upright. Gasping I looked around, frantically, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart. This was hardly the first time I had woken up from a nightmare. Ever since the southern airtemple, five days ago, I had been having nightmares more often than not.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up you don't usually sleep in this late," I turned to see Sokka looking at me. I quickly assessed my surroundings and was astonished to find that he was right, it was close to midday, probably close to ten or eleven o'clock from what I could see.

"Yeah, well my sleep schedule's been funky ever since I was at the pole. No offense but daylight for the entire summer isn't what I'm used to. I had to use Katara as-" I cut myself off, shoot I nearly said alarm clock.

"As a rooster" I supplied, "for the entire Summer. Well, summer for you guys, winter for the rest of the world."

"Wow," Sokka, king of sarcasm said, "you managed to call us backward at least twice. I'm so hurt."

"Shut up Sokka." Katara and Aang laughed. Sokka pouted, it didn't last long before he broke into a big smile.

"So where are we going Aang? Do you know?" Sokka asked, changing the subject. Aang turned his head to look at us from Appa's head.

"Well, I know it's over water." Both Sokka and I looked at Aang, completely deadpan. The only thing we could see for miles was water. I scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of Kyoshi Island. As far as I could see the water stretched on forever. There was a chirp above me and something landed on my head. I laughed and pulled the owner of that weight down onto my lap. The lemur looked at me, chattered then took off again. I grinned as I watched Momo fly, he was a funny little fellow, but I was glad we had picked him up.

"There!" I turned to look in the direction Katara was pointing. In the distance on Appa's right side was a pale brown smudge. Land. Aang twisted the reigns on Appa's horns, shouting the usual phrase.

* * *

Kyoshi island was barren at this time of year. It was covered in snow and dead branches and plants. Waiting for spring to come. The air was cold, and I agreed with Sokka on this one, yes he did need pants here. I was silently wondering if Aang was crazy. There was still snow outside and yet he was stripping himself to go for a polar bear swim in a bay that held a giant koi eating monster.

"Aang maybe-" I had no chance to finish as Aang dove into the water. He then shot out of the water with a scream of "COLD!" Before vanishing back into the waves. I groaned and flopped onto the cold sand.

"Will he ever listen?" I murmured, staring at the giant fish. Since I had arrived here, I had become accustomed to seeing strange sights, koi fish the size of skyscrapers were no big deal. At least I was trying to convince myself of that. Katara shook her head as though laughing at how ridiculous this whole situation was. I couldn't disagree with her. Aang had been flying us all over the place. Luckily we hadn't gone to ride the hog-monkeys or other animals he had intended to burden with our weight. We had simply gotten lost, twice, because we decided to take a longer route, worried about some thunderheads in our direct path. I kept a nervous eye on the water. Part of me was screaming to get Aang out of the water, images of him losing a limb or two dancing before my eyes. The other part of me was repeating that he'd be okay, and it was Sokka's big mouth I needed to worry about. I shifted my weight alternating which foot most of the weight landed on. I did my best to stay alert. I wanted to know when the Kyoshi Warriors were going to arrive.

My attention was distracted by a panicked shriek from Katara. Running over to my mocha skinned friend I didn't even have to ask what was wrong. An enormous dorsal fin, if you could call it that, had suddenly appeared in the middle of the bay. The elephant koi where nowhere to be seen. A stream of white water suddenly appeared. Aang, using airbending to propel himself as far as he could across the water. He was moving so fast that he plowed right into Sokka, both hitting a tree enough that the trunk shook.

"Ow." Sokka groaned before sitting up, rubbing the back of his head. Aang, of course, sprung up as though he hadn't felt a thing. He opened his mouth to speak, and I heard a slight rustle above me.

"Well, we should probably get going," Sokka stated.

Several green figures dropped from the trees. I cried out as one grabbed me by the wrists. I tried desperately to remember the self-defence classes my mother had put so much effort into getting me to learn. I couldn't remember how to break a hold like this, so I improvised. I completely sagged, relaxing my body so that the Kyoshi warrior was supporting my weight entirely. Not expecting this, but braced for a struggle she dropped me. I shot to my feet the other Kyoshi warriors had already taken Katara and Sokka down and were just finishing tying up Aang, which meant that all the Kyoshi Warriors were only looking at me. I quickly raised my hands.

"Were not here to cause trouble!" I cried wanting to make sure that they listen to me. The warriors paused, fans still at the ready but now less guarded.

"Then why are you here?" A Kyoshi warrior with short brown hair, pale brown eyes and golden tassels hanging from her 'hat' asked. I recognized her as Suki.

"Listen, we're travelers, trying to get to the North Pole to get these two," I gestured at Aang and Katara, "a water bending master. We probably wouldn't have even stopped here if someone hadn't wanted to ride the elephant koi." I shot a pointed look at Aang, momentarily forgetting that he couldn't see it. Of course, all three of my companions started blabbing, agreeing with me and trying to get themselves out of their situation. Of course, that only made it seem like they were guilty of something.

"Ride the elephant koi?" One of the Kyoshi warriors I didn't recognize asked in astonishment, "we always have some in the bay, but why would you risk your life for something like that? No one ever knows when the Unagi will feed." I frowned internally. Suki had told the gaang that the people of Kyoshi Island would feed them to the Unagi. If no one knew the Unagi's feeding pattern then the whole 'we'll feed you to the Unagi' was a bluff. Suki shot a pointed glare at her friend before adding, "How can we believe you?"

"Would the fire nation waste time riding elephant koi?" I replied.

"They would if they knew how-"

"Aang! The fire nation would know better than to risk their lives over a joyride." I replied to my bound companion.

"Listen," I turned back to Kyoshi warriors, "you may not believe it but my friend here," I gestured at Aang, "is the Avatar. He was stuck in an iceberg for a hundred years, so he didn't age. Of course, that also means he's only the master of one element so far, so we need to get him to the North Pole. Preferably sooner than later." The Kyoshi warriors looked at each other, indecision written on all their faces but one. Suki. She was going to be a tough nut to crack. I tried another tactic.

"Listen, our group is compasses of a pair of water tribe siblings, an earth kingdom girl who was adopted into the water tribe and a young apprentice monk from a race that is supposed to be extinct. Do you honestly think the fire nation has enough creativity to make something like this up?" Suki glared at me then turned.

"We'll take you to the chieftain if you can prove you are who you say you are then we'll let you go."

"And if we can't?" Sokka asked.

"We'll throw you to the Unagi. Even if it doesn't eat you drowning isn't the nicest way to go."

* * *

"I can't believe that we're getting dessert for breakfast!" Aang exclaimed looking at the feast of sugary foods spread out in front of us. Katara and Aang sat on one side of the table I sat on the other. There was a single empty cushion where Sokka would have been seated if he wasn't grumbling in the corner. Aang already piling his food high on his plate looked at Sokka expectantly, waiting for the older boy to come and eat. Sokka didn't move.

"Don't mind him Aang," Katara comforted, "he just can't believe that he was beaten by a bunch of girls."

"Sneak attacks don't count!" Sokka cried. I sighed and took a bite out of a fresh bakery bread bun, naturally sweetened with honey. I groaned in delight. After a month or more of eating fish and sea creatures, the bread tasted like heaven. After I had come down from my cloud of bliss, I turned to Sokka.

"They've been trained well, and sometimes women make the best warriors because no one expects them to be. Being underestimated is a pretty powerful weapon." I pointed out, remembering what I had learned about female ninja and how they used their gender to become the best assassins. No one expected a woman to kill someone, especially a lady. Sokka glared at me. I took this moment to add, "In fact, I think I'll ask Suki and her girl's to train me."

The look on Sokka's face was priceless.

"Wh… what?" He stuttered.

"You heard me," I replied, "Sokka, I have no bending abilities, I need a way to defend myself. I can't rely on you guys always. All it will take is me getting separated from you guys and bang!" I clapped my hands together. After a second, I continued "I don't want you guys to have to worry about protecting me all the time. I'm the oldest in this group. I need to be able to care for myself." I looked around. This place was beautiful, a perfect place for guests of honor. I shrugged, grabbed a biscuit of some sort and delighting in the jam filling walked out of the room. Sokka was three steps behind me. I walked out of the door and was nearly knocked over by a mad horde of fan girls. I growled, enough was enough. They could stalk Aang they could antagonize Katara. They were no allowed to sit outside our house until Aang came out.

"Go!" I barked, causing a few to jump, "don't you have something important to do like… I don't know… chores?" The girls scattered. Pleased with myself I licked my fingers and headed towards the Kyoshi Warriors' dojo. As I walked down the road, I window shopped at the various stalls set there. These covered everything from fruit to cloth, to goods and based on the sign of one woman's stall fortune telling (and a lot of gossip). My eye was caught by a jeweler's stall, filled with colorful trinkets. One, in particular, caught my eye. A large gold-colored medallion with copper work, it was beautiful and very noticeable, but it wasn't the size or how much it probably would cost that caught my attention. 

"Excuse me," I walked toward the woman who was tending the stall, "how much is the medallion?" The woman looked up. She was pretty and looked to be about the age of my mother. She was wearing a simple beige dress and a green handkerchief to keep her hair back.

"The medallion? It's…" she looked at the piece I had been pointing to then back to me, as though assessing how much money I could own.

"It's five gold." I frowned trying to calculate that amount into my mind. Giving it up I remembered that we had a good sum of money. Still I didn't want to spend it on a trinket, no matter how much or how little it cost. Still… I wanted it bad. Noticing my hesitation the sales woman leveled with me.

"You one of the girls with the avatar right?" I nodded, looking away from the hanging medallion.

"You don't have a lot of money?" This time, I shook my head.

"No. We have money, but I don't want to spend it on jewelry, food and supplies are more important." The woman nodded, looking at me with an assessing gaze.

"Look, this item has been giving me trouble since I got it. With the war going on this necklace is barely more than a joke. It is quite valuable, but the inscription on it guarantees no one will ever buy it. To sell it at less than five gold would be a crime." She admitted, "but even as cheap as that is no one will touch it." I gently traced the copper designs on the medallion, Air, Water, Earth, Fire. The medallion looked just like the design Iroh had drawn in the sand for Zuko in… I struggled but realized that I couldn't remember that episode. All I could remember was that it was in the second book and after Toph had joined the group because Iroh was injured.

"Why?" I asked, gently fingering the beautiful item, "what's wrong with it?"

"It has the symbols of a long extinct race, and the symbol for those who are the reason everyone's life if a living hell." She replied as smoothly as discussing the weather, "Who would buy it at all?" I looked at the woman for a moment in silent contemplation. Most people would look at it that way but for me, this necklace represented my point of view for this world. There was no good side and no bad side. This war was no different between the Israeli and Palestinian war going on at home. It was humans, killing humans with thousands of innocents caught in the crossfire.

"I will," I replied without thought. I checked in the pocket of my parka and brought out a handful of coins.

"This is all I have," I admitted looking at the small pile. The woman looked at it then looked up at me. She counted out the money then handed the necklace to me. I gently took it in my hands. The cord that held it was thick, black and coarse but I couldn't bring myself to care particularly. I held the necklace with reverence, grateful for something to remind me that this war was as pointless as the ones at home. The sooner Aang learned all forms of bending, the better.

I gently fastened the necklace around my neck and let it hang. It was heavy, but the weight was good, it reminded me that I had the necklace on. I turned to walk away when the woman called to me. I turned.

"My son and daughter have left the house," she explained, "but they left the clothes that didn't fit them anymore with me. If you'd like you can try them on, see which ones you fit." I smiled. That was sweet.

"Sure, tomorrow maybe? Same time?" She nodded. I continued, gently fingering the necklace.

* * *

I walked into the Kyoshi warrior's dojo just in time to see Sokka get trounced by Suki. I groaned then ran inside. Catching the poor guy before he hit the ground and untying the strap. Sokka glared at me, but I ignored the pointed look, instead focusing in on Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors.

"I'm sorry for intruding, and I apologize for this guy over here," I nodded towards Sokka, who was trying to somehow regain his damaged pride, "but, I was wondering… if you'd be willing to teach me how to fight." I caught a glimpse of Sokka sneaking away but ignored him.

"I'm a quick learner, and I know some ways to protect myself if I'm attacked. I'm also not a bender." As I expected, Suki told me that they don't usually teach outsiders, but she was willing to teach me. She was also curious about the little but of self-defence I had learned so, I agreed to teach her the little I knew but warned her that most of it was dirty. I was paired off with one Kyoshi warrior, a girl named Jing.

"I'm Palartok," I explained, "just call me Pala." She looked at me curiously. I was worried that she was comparing my appearance to the water tribe siblings and then to the others on Kyoshi Island. If she did realize I looked earth kingdom but had a water tribe name she said nothing, instead, lunging out at me with her fan.

I spent hours in the Kyoshi dojo, getting increasingly more and more frustrated. I was learning, but it wasn't quick enough for what I wanted. After another failed attempt I took a step back.

"I'm sorry," I admitted, looking down at the green outfit I was wearing, "I don't think this is working." Suki stopped what she was doing and walked over. She placed a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face her.

"You're doing fine," she comforted, "but you're still too tense. You're not relaxing. You're acting as though every move you make is going to hurt." I nodded tersely and tried to relax. It didn't work. Suki sighed.

"Close your eyes." I did, "now imagine yourself at a time when you felt safe or happy in a position similar to this." I focused. An image of two brunette girls smacking thick sticks against each other appeared in my mind. My sister and I.

"Good, now lunge as I showed you." I did. I felt Suki parry the blows. I stuck out again, trying to remember the blows I had been taught. I felt my arm brush by something. Something tapped my shoulder, and I opened my eyes. Suki had her fan resting there lightly.

"Good job," she praised, "you're improving. You at least weren't tense this time. Let's drill it again."

* * *

I flopped on the straw mattress, not bothering to change or even put my sleeping bag on top. I was stiff, tired, hungry, sore, and unbelievably happy. I had worked straight through dinner, determined that I would have improved somewhat. My hard work had bore fruit and while I could not hope even to match the weakest of the Kyoshi Warriors currently in the rankings I was further along than I had started out. I knew a few basic blocks and attacks I knew how to hold the fans and more importantly… I had finally figured out how to fight in a dress. I felt a blush rose up on my cheeks remembering at least four times I had tripped over my skirt when taking a step forward. One time I went sailing into my opponent. I had been beyond humiliated, but Suki and the girls had ignored the slip-ups most of the time and continued as though nothing happened.

A knock on the door distracted me. I sat up slowly, groaning. If I hurt this much already, I couldn't imagine how much pain I'd be in by tomorrow. I was beginning to regret that I had been a nerd instead of an athlete.

"Come in," I called. The door creaked open slowly. A familiar soft face peeked in.

"I brought you some tea," I smiled as Katara sat beside me, holding a teacup in her hands. I took the cup, having learned tp eat what I was served. Besides, the smell of tea was always a good way to get comfort. I took a whiff of the delicious mixture letting the scent wash over me.

"What type is it?" I asked, leaning back against the wall, the hot tea warming my hands.

"Jasmine." I started. The tea sloshed over the edge of the cup and onto my knee, but I didn't care. A memory haunted my mind, lingering just within thought.

"Pala? Are you okay?" I looked up.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine." I replied, putting the tea to the side. I looked at it a moment before turning away. Katara didn't look convinced by my answer. I brushed my braid off my shoulder but after a second pulled it back. Slowly I untied the leather strap and ran my fingers through it. My hair came out wavy. Having a natural wave in my hair meant that when I braided it not only did the braid stay in longer but my hair remained wavy for almost an entire day. It felt strange for my hair to be this loose after a month of it staying in a braid except to wash. I felt another set of hands weave themselves into my hair and relaxed as Katara gently combed her fingers through the brunette mane.

"So what is it about Jasmine tea that made you tense?" She asked softly. I shook my head and pulled away, turning and taking a good look at Katara. She was ready for bed as well, dressed in underwear, her hair loopies pulled out of her bun, so they fell to her chest. My heart ached.

"It was my boyfriend's favorite tea. We met while he was drinking a cup." Katara perked up, curious.

"How did you meet?" I laughed softly allowing myself for a moment to taste the bitter sweet memory.

"I was on a… on my way home after staying at an aunt's home for a couple of days…"

_"Can I sit here?" I looked up. A young man, about my age, was pointing at the seat next to me. He was rather short for a guy, standing around five foot six to my five foot seven. His cheeks and chin were rough with a light dusting of curly brown hair. His hair fell to his shoulders in perfect ringlets. His eyes were a beautiful blue. I nodded and moved over allowing him to take a seat beside me. He was dressed casually, a red and black plaid shirt and black jeans. In his hand was a blue thermos. He took off the cap. Most people I had seen used the cap as a cup or bowl but he didn't. Instead, he placed it on his lap and drank right out of the thermos. I watched in awe as his Adam's apple bobbed. He sighed then screwed the lid back on. There was silence for a moment before I caught a whiff of whatever had been in the thermos. I expected coffee or hot chocolate yet the air around him smelled herbal, not gritty or sweet like coffee and hot chocolate did. It didn't even burn my nose like alcohol would._

_"What are you drinking?" I asked curiously. He looked at me then held out the thermos._

_"I don't want to drink it." I rolled my eyes, "I want to know what you're drinking."_

_"Tea, Jasmine tea." He replied with a shrug than with a guilty grin, "I could drink a full milk jug of this stuff." I laughed then. The image of him chugging a milk jug full of tea, seeming hilarious._

"So you two became friends after that?" Katara asked, dragging me from the memory.

"Yep, we both ended up with a mutual crush that day." I chuckled then looked at Katara thoughtfully.

"Alright off to bed with you. I need to go to sleep myself. The daughters of Kyoshi will be waiting for me."

Katara stood, leaving the tray of warm tea on my bedside table. She stopped just before the door.

"Daughters of Kyoshi?" I nodded.

"Yeah, the Kyoshi warriors call themselves that in private. Since their entire style of fighting was created by Kyoshi and they wear the same clothes as she did as a sign of honor they call themselves her daughters. Personally, I think they deserve that right and Kyoshi hasn't struck them down yet. I think it's all good. Still, don't go around calling them that. It is supposed to be a secret." Katara nodded and walked out of my room. Closing the wooden door with a firm snap.


	6. Of Boys in Skirts and Simple Monks

"Again," Suki ordered. I lunged again, throwing my whole body behind the fan. The Kyoshi warrior nodded and ordered a different drill. I lashed out again.

"Stop." I stopped. Sweat covered my brow. I took a gasping breath, grinning like mad. The dark brunette Kyoshi warrior looked up at my fan from the ground. And grinned. The entire dojo broke into applause. I beamed. Finally after a week of working from dawn to dusk I had finally beaten a Kyoshi warrior without using any dirty tricks. Of course, Suki had been calling out to me what moves to use, but that also meant that the other girl knew what to block for so I supposed it was evened out. I took the fan back and reached down and helped the other warrior to her feet. Tan, was her name pronounced Tahn as she corrected me after I had called her Tan by accident. Tan was a year younger than me and had been with the Kyoshi warriors for a year. Suki, who was the same age, as Tan was the leader of the warriors simply because she was the best fighter in the group and had been training the longest, a daunting record of ten years.

"Good job," Suki beamed at me, grasping my shoulder, "you've been working hard."

"I've had five-hour long practice sessions with you every day." I grinned, "I didn't have a choice but learn quickly or be beaten into a pulp." The girl's laughed. I tried to remember all their names. Jooda, Mae, Suki, Tan, Kai… I grimaced. I had always been bad at names, and most of the Kyoshi Warriors seemed determined that since I had 'learned' Suki's name so quickly, I should at least make a real attempt at learning theirs. I was trying, and I was learning. I just didn't remember them all at once. Part of the issue was that the names heir were foreign to me. The other was that I was always bad at remembering names. Of course I 'learned' the names of the characters I knew quicker. I had known their names for years.

"Excuse me." I jumped and spun, quickly falling into the ranks of the Daughters of Kyoshi. I blinked, recognizing Sokka.

"Oh look who we got here girls." Suki mocked. I started. I had forgotten about Sokka's apology to the warriors, to focused on my training to remember that during this time Aang was being chased around by crazy fan girls. They had stopped coming to our borrowed 'house' after I had snapped and threatened to set Suki on them. The girls had scattered. I learned several hours later that Coco, the ringleader of the fangirling was Suki's little sister and was supposed to be in beginner's training with Mae during that time. I sniggered remembering that little detail. Mae hadn't been pleased that Coco had been skipping training to ogle the avatar.

"I wanted to apologize," Sokka explained, getting on both knees, so he was below Suki, a sign of great respect. It was used to signify that person stood above you and was common practice when giving a sincere apology.

"I thought I would be a better warrior simply because I am a guy. My only request is that you teach me as an acceptance of my apology." I frowned, I didn't remember Sokka being this formal or heartfelt in the series. But then again, I had noticed that Sokka was a lot more precise when it was called for so I shook it off as nothing significant.

"We don't usually teach outsiders," Suki warned, "let alone boys." She turned and sent a cheeky grin in my direction which Sokka, who was still looking at the floor, didn't notice.

"Please teach me. I will not let you down." Sokka asked, head still directed at the floor.

"Well, you'll have to follow our traditions. And I mean, all of our traditions." I couldn't help but let a snigger slip through. I couldn't wait to see Sokka all dressed up. This was going to be good.

While the girl's dragged Sokka away, much to his confusion, I watched Suki share a sly smile with the other girls. They were seriously going to make Sokka pay for those sexist comments. I sighed, Sokka would learn, after all if Suki didn't do the trick Toph or Katara would. I paused as I thought about Toph. Should I convince everyone to go to Toph's home? And if I did what would I say. I paused, how would I even know it was where Toph lived. Besides, I told myself, even if we did pick up Toph early she shouldn't teach Aang until he at least was semi-efficient with water. Plus, Toph saw with her feet because of earth. She would be miserable on the pole anyways. It was better to leave her as she was.

I was distracted by my thoughts at the sudden emergence of Sokka, who was looking humiliated. The makeup was smudged and clashed with his warrior's wolf tail badly. However, the uniform itself didn't look that bad at all. Not that it made him look good either. 

"Alright everyone you get today off, I'm doing a private lesson right now," Suki called to my surprise. She wasn't going to humiliate Sokka any further,

I nodded and with the rest of the class walked out of the dojo.  
While everyone else went off to do their own thing I headed up to our 'house'. Katara would be there. I hadn't spent a lot of time with my traveling companions while I tried to learn how to fight but now I was pleased with my performance. Maybe it was time to take a small break before beginning again.  I snorted to myself if I worked any harder I would end up like Zuko, so focused on one thing I would forget everything else. That boy had a severe case of tunnel vision. I jumped when my mind came to Zuko. I had forgotten about Zuko and Sokka's apology heralded his arrival. I took off towards the beach as fast as I could go.

When I arrived there, the beach was deserted. I looked around and allowed myself time to think. I needed to start using my brain. Time passed here the same way it did at home which meant that Zuko wouldn't arrive right away. Neither would Aang go swimming with the Unagi. I was acting ridiculous. Still… I took a seat on the cold sand and looked out over the bay. An elephant koi lept out of the water, its orange and white scales glittering with water droplets. I needed to plan out my actions to the best of my ability, so I at least had a direction in which to go. First off I needed to know how I should approach the next hurdle, facing Zuko. Since I was a part of the Kyoshi Warriors training, I would undoubtedly end up joining in the fight. I could choose to avoid Zuko at all costs and let everyone else deal with him, fight him if it came to it or go head to head with him. The problem was that if I avoided him, I might end up getting someone hurt because of my negligence. If I faced him, head on I better prepared myself to be pummeled because I was nowhere near Zuko's level. Unless I had some way of distracting him. Mentally I thought of a couple of ways I could distract him quickly. Insult Iroh? Na, besides I liked Iroh to much myself. Call him Zuzu? Sure, if I wanted to match his scar. I sighed, what could I do to get Zuko's attention?

Inspiration struck me hard. I gasped at the air, wondering why I hadn't thought of it sooner. The idea was pure genius, plus it could help undermine his thought process and make him think outside the box. The only question was if I was brave or stupid enough actually to try it. There was also a risk that saying what I planned to say would change the story forever in ways I couldn't imagine. But by the time it would start to have an effect all the other changes I would make would have caught up. I leaned back. I would do it, as long as my nerve didn't abandon me at the worst of times.

* * *

I returned to the house before hiding myself in my room to get together my mini speech. I spent several moments trying to imagine Zuko as he looked at the end of the series in all his Fire Lord Glory. If I wanted this to work, then I needed to believe in it.

I must have fallen asleep because I was woken to a loud "FINE!" And the sound of a door slamming. I blinked blearily. The voice had sounded vaguely like Aang's. I sat up, I was still dressed in my Kyoshi Warrior's garb, makeup smeared over the bed from where I had fallen asleep. Sighing, I stood and grabbed a cloth from the bowl which stood on the table beside my bed. I rubbed my face briskly, taking off all the residual makeup. When Zuko attacked I wanted him to identify who I was. A random Kyoshi Warrior talking to him wouldn't do my plan much good.

Once my face was clear of all the makeup I walked out into the main room. Katara was there, staring darkly into a puddle of water on the floor, a wooden bowl tipped over on its side.

"Katara?" I asked, slowly approaching, "are you okay?" I had never seen Katara look so angry. Her entire face seemed shrouded by shadow a black fire burned in her eyes.

"I'm fine," she snapped, not moving to look at me, "it's not like I care." I looked at her, puzzled as to why she wouldn't care and what she didn't care about. Then I remembered the sound of Aang's voice which I had woken to.

"You and Aang got into a fight?" I asked, taking a seat next to her.

"So what? See if I care. He should get eaten that would show him."

"Katara, I know you don't think that you're worried about him which is why you're crying-"

"I'M NOT CRYING!" Katara bellowed. I jumped back as a large stream of water hit me in the face. I gasped as the cold liquid impacted like a slap. Katara jumped, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Oh my gosh Pala I am so sorry," she cried, staring at my smarting face. I winced from the pain but shook it off with a forced smile.

"No problem, but Katara, I already washed my face today." The witty comeback caught both Katara and me by surprise. Katara let out a choked sob which might have also been a laugh, before burying her head in my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her, heart aching for this woman in a child's body. A young girl but with old eyes. So soon they would come to be that much older. As would Aang's. Fire Lord Sozin would never be able to compensate for all those children who had lost their childhoods because of him. I felt fury build up against the Fire Lords of the past they had caused far too much pain. I could feel wet spots on my shoulder, four of them. Katara's eyes, nose, and mouth as she cried. I hadn't realized that Aang had affected her this badly in the show. She had seemed to get over it quickly. There had to be something else going on.

"Katara, it's okay… shhh… is the fight with Aang the only thing bothering you?" She shook her head, not willing to surface yet.

"Can you tell me what is?" She shook her head again. I sighed and gently stroked the back of her head. She'd tell someone when she was ready.

After another few minutes, Katara pulled out of my shoulder and hiccuped. I sighed then stood and picked up another cloth before returning to her and handing the damp cloth over. She wiped her eyes and cheeks, then her mouth and nose. I took the cloth again and put it with the other dirty clothes in a bucket. We would wash them later.

"Feeling better?" I asked softly. Katara nodded then waterbended the water on the floor back into its wooden bowl. She looked at the wooden dish blankly before dumping the water outside. She was still shaking despite not crying anymore, so I kept a close eye on her while I helped myself to porridge with fruit and milk. After a second Katara joined me, nibbling on a cheese biscuit.

"I'm sorry…" Katara apologized, "I ruined your uniform." I looked down at the top then shrugged, "Nah, you didn't ruin it. It will come out in a good wash. Do you think I could convince Zuko a monster was trying to maul me?"

"Who's Zuko?" I froze and mentally began berating myself. Seriously I had to start watching what I said or one day I was going to let something slip which couldn't be explained away as easily as Zuko's name.

"The guy who's been chasing after Aang, he's the prince of the fire nation." Katara paled but nodded. I quickly moved to calm her, "he won't have anyone else helping him besides his current crew. He's not exactly in his father's favor currently." Katara nodded absently.

"I need to go and see if Aang is okay."

"Go ahead," I agreed. While Katara walked off, I allowed myself to grimace. I needed to watch what I was saying. I shook my head. I took a deep breath, steeling my nerves and touching the necklace I had bought. I hadn't taken it off since buying it, not that anyone knew. Heck, no one even knew I had bought it. Personally, I didn't mind either way. I walked back to my room and packed up my bag. Inside was my sleeping bag, parka and the two sets of Earth Kingdom clothes that I had been given. Once I was done with that, I grabbed Sokka and Katara's stuff as well. Aang's staff was gone, so I assumed he had taken it with him. I did another double check to make sure no one had forgotten anything then took the items down.

Appa was munching on hay in the back of the building, looking very pleased. Momo was sitting on the bison's horns watching me, big ears alert.

"Hey, boys I need to leave this stuff with you okay?" I said, clambering onto Appa via tail and securing all the items. Appa grumbled as turned his head to see what I was doing but quickly became disinterested and went back to munching hay. Momo, on the other hand, flew from his perch and landed on my shoulder to observe my activities. I pet his soft ears before shooing him away. He chattered at me, annoyed. I chuckled, brushed a strand of loose hair out of my eyes then headed into town.

* * *

Zuko's ship was spotted during the early evening, I'd guess nearly five o'clock, not that I could accurately tell time anymore. All I could guess was basic time periods, before noon”, noon, afternoon and of course morning, afternoon, evening, and night. I joined the other Kyoshi warriors who were standing under the statue of Kyoshi. To my surprise Suki and Sokka were there as well. Suki was handing out fans to everyone. I grabbed a pair the metal fans were heavy, but I had become accustomed to that. What I wasn't used to was the sharpened edge and the strange coating.

"What's on this?" I asked Suki touching the cool jell like substance covering the fan.

"It stops the fan from heating up and burning you if Firebenders grab it. It can also protect you from the fire it's a natural fire repellant." I nodded and took both fans, trying to get used to their feel. Suki explained her plan of attack, keep hidden then engage on her cue. I pretty much ignored it. I would follow her plan to a point before breaking off on my own. Besides, I had read somewhere that no plan survived initial contact with the enemy.

I took my position, choosing a place where I could see the firebenders as they came towards the village as well as most of the village itself while remaining on the front lines. If there was any time that I was going to prove myself a capable fighter, it was now. Now or never. I waited, crouched on the far side of the rooftop watching the slow progress to the village. I watched as the rhinos moved. They were slow, cumbersome beasts but built like tanks. I wouldn't be able to hurt them but I could out maneuver them. That was what I was counting on. No, the rhinos would be all right as long as I stayed away from their horns, it was the benders who were the real threat.

It seemed like eons before Zuko and his men arrived, the quick pounding of my heart making every step take twice as long. It seemed like it should be night but it was only half an hour that the rhinos had been walking. It was infuriating since a regular walk would take five minutes and the most.  I wondered why the firebenders didn't just leave the rhinos behind the animals were giving their enemies lots of time to prepare. Finally, though, Zuko and his cohorts were here. Suki made a motion, and the signal was quickly passed around. I took my turn, as one of the people on the roofs anyone in my area would look for my signal. I quickly made the move, catching Sokka's eye. His eyes widened, and he gestured at his face. I pretended to grimace silently pleased that I was so easily recognizable. Zuko would spot me right away.

Now that we were all ready we were simply waiting to strike. One Kyoshi warrior would rush out when they felt the time was right, and the rest would follow. I waited until Zuko was well within my sights, but not close enough for his beast to attack me before I jumped off the roof. Dust and dirt puffed up in a cloud around me drawing all eyes to me. Just as I expected, Zuko took one good look at me before glaring.

"You."

  
"Me," I replied, a cheeky grin on my face. Zuko growled. It was then the Kyoshi warriors attacked. I almost lost Zuko in the sudden onslaught. Almost. The prince of fire pushed through the crowd of girls(and only boy) to get to the only one without makeup. Me. I wasn't going to make it hard for him.

I charged forward and dodged to the side, attacking from the part of the rhino that didn't have goring horns of whip-like tail. I smashed my fan against Zuko only to be parried away by a fist full of fire. Whatever the special coating on this fan did the trick worked and Zuko's flame never touched me. I closed my fan and swung it at him again. He used the metal gauntlet on his wrist to stop that particular blow. The fan rang with the sound of metal on metal.

I was dimly aware of everyone else fighting Zuko's hordes of soldiers. I heard shouts and screams and the distinctive sound of metal ringing upon metal. My fan got caught in a corner of Zuko's armor. I tugged in alarm, but it didn't budge. Zuko liked at me, then tore the fan out of his shoulder armor where I had struck again. His armor was thick and I was beginning to doubt that I was leaving much more than bruises, so I jumped ahead on my plan.

I leaned in close, startling Zuko. He brought his wrist up to his face, expecting another attack when I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Long live Fire Lord Zuko."


	7. Hail the Fire Lord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, I want to address two things. One, there are two lines which are written in caps. I did this to accentuate just how loud and fierce the characters are being at that moment. I know caps isn't something a lot of people like seeing, and I agree it can get annoying when used all the time for shouting in a story. However when used at the right times for the right reasons I believe it can add to the story. I also want to point out that for the first time in this chapter I will be leaving Maddi's point of view for a couple of pages. This is important to the story as this second characters point of view needs to be seen to fully understand the full effect of Maddi's words here. I hope that clears everything that could cause potential issues here. To make it clear which part of this chapter belongs to who you will see a name in both italics and underlined. Like this: Maddison.  
> Thank you, and I hope that clears everything up,  
> Falkyns_Flight

I leaned in close, startling Zuko. He brought his wrist up to his face, expecting another attack when I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Long live Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko's reaction was priceless. He froze for a second, just staring at me in shock. I quickly spun and took off through the crowd of warriors, giving plenty of space between myself and the prince. I wasn't exactly sure what his reaction would be, but I didn't want to risk being injured. Besides, I needed him to follow me.

I pushed my way through the Kyoshi warriors who mostly ignored me. Zuko, on the other hand, kept being stopped by attacking warriors, one of whom I was sure was Sokka. I slipped behind a house and waited. Four seconds later Zuko, without his rhino, came charging after me. Both hands alight with fire. I instinctively ducked, slapping my hands to the ground as a bolt of the flames shot over my head.

"What did you do that for?" I shouted I had figured that he might be angry, but this was beyond what I had assumed.

"You dare mock me?" Zuko bellowed back, smoke pouring from his nose and mouth. I blinked then sat up, and looked at him. Zuko thought I had been mocking him. Well, now I understood why he was so angry.

"I'm not making fun of you," I pointed out, standing, "You are the next fire lord."

"I'm banished," Zuko snarled, "I won't become Fire Lord unless I capture the Avatar." I eyed his position. He was tense, body rigid. He was prepared to start fighting. Then again, so was I. Neither of us trusted the other.

"That's one of your options," I admitted, "the other is showing your people that you fight for them, show them that you would be a better leader then Ozai is, then overthrow him."

"Blasphemy." Zuko snarled, his hands lighting up again. Fury built up inside me as a hundred faces assaulted my memory. Faces of those I knew and those who I had yet to met. Katara and Sokka, who lost their mother, forcing Katara to replace her and become a mother to her elder brother. Aang, who had lost everything, because of the fire nation. The children of the water tribe, so young but having to learn how to defend themselves so they could survive. Sura, my water tribe companion who had panicked at the sight of a fire nation flare, Sura, whose full pain I would never know. Then came characters I had yet to meet. Teo, who lost his mother and ability, to walk then nearly his home because of the fire nation. Bato, who had been burned so badly that his family had to leave him behind for at least a week. Haru who's father was locked away by the fire nation until he had no hope left. Iroh, crying over the makeshift memorial of Lu-Ten in Ba-Sing-Se. Zuko. What sort of father could do that to his son?

"Blasphemy?" I snarled, pulling myself to my full height. I was shorter then Zuko by an inch or two but at that moment, I didn't care. I looked at him straight on, gold eyes to brown.

"Blasphemy?" I repeated. "Is it blasphemy to want a cruel dictator taken off the throne? Do you even know how much pain your so called father has inflicted? Because of him, families have been torn apart lives ripped to shreds. He has left children to become old men and women in young bodies. Some of those children will never see their parents again. And he hasn't just left the earth kingdom that way. Look at what he's done to his country. Heck, look at what he has done to his family." That was a wrong step on my side. Zuko completely caught fire, it flickered and burned up his arms and almost to his shoulders.

"MY FATHER DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE I NEEDED A LESSON."

"YOUR FATHER BURNED YOU BECAUSE BECAUSE YOUR ARE TEN TIMES THE MAN HE EVER COULD DREAM OF BEING." I bellowed back, my voice unusually high. Zuko reeled like he had been shot, eyes wide.

"You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko." I said softly, "your father saw that and recognized it as a threat. You would have stopped the entire war once you understood what was going on. You have the heart to be a good leader, one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his people would rise against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the people's love." Zuko stared at me, mouth slack. He didn't seem to know what to say. We were silent for a long time. Finally, Zuko croaked out, his voice suddenly hoarse.

"How… what… who are you?" I laughed gently and replied.

"I'm a girl who looks Earth Kingdom, adopted into the water tribe, with the soul of an air nomad. I suppose you can say I am a girl of all nations." I shrugged and allowed myself to relax. Zuko didn't, instead he suddenly stood erect and looked at me with huge eyes.

"What?" I asked, confused. Why was he looking at me like that? He looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Nothing," he replied, a little too quickly. He looked so lost all of a sudden like his armor was too big for him. I paused then looked back to the village. I could smell smoke. Stiffening, I looked at Zuko.

"Your men are burning down the village. I need to go, my friends, are probably leaving soon. If you want, call for the avatar. Aang will fight you, and you can keep on this wild goose chase or… I'll leave that to you. Still if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." I turned to leave when Zuko asked for something I never expected from him.

"What's your name?"

"Madison, Maddi for short. My water tribe name is Palartok. Pala for short."

* * *

 

Zuko

"Long Live Fire Lord Zuko." I stared at the strange girl. She was the same one who had thrown snow at my face back at the South Pole. I would recognize the peasant anywhere and once again she was mocking me. I felt my internal fire ignite, adding to my anger. The peasant girl sprinted away, adding salt to the wound. She was a coward, unwilling even to face the one she insulted. I snarled and began pushing my way through the group of little girls. The Rhino was taking to long, at this rate I'd lose her. I jumped off pushing through the crowd, occasionally shooting a blast of fire at the girls in green. I felt my frustration spike as another girl attacked me. With a cry of rage, I pushed her backward into a house. She slammed against the wall with a resounding crack, her green, and gold headpiece falling off. There was a shout of anger and another girl in green, this one with a vaguely similar hairstyle charged up to me. I knocked her aside, ignoring her panicked cries.

I followed the peasant behind a row of wooden houses. There she turned and looked at me. I shot my fist out, sending a powerful stream of fire at her head. She would pay for insulting me. She dropped to the ground, the blaze missing her. Then she looked up, her dark eyes flashing.

"What did you do that for?" She shouted.

"You dare mock me?" I shouted back. I didn't care about whether or not she got injured. Her words were not going to be tolerated. She was throwing my banishment back in my face, mocking me.  
"I'm not making fun of you," she replied pulling herself up from the ground. "You are the next fire lord." How could she say something like that? Was she stupid? How would I, a banished prince with no honor ever become fire lord? It wouldn't happen, not without the avatar in chains on my boat.

"I'm banished, I won't become Fire Lord unless I capture the Avatar." I glared at her.  
She didn't react to my look. Instead, she seemed to be assessing me, looking for my week points perhaps. Good luck. I snorted. She looked up to met my eyes. She appears to have calmed down somewhat.

"That's one of your options," she replied. One of my choices, it was my only option. Zhao's words echoed in my head you're just a banished prince. Your father doesn't even want you.'

"The other," she continued catching my attention, "is showing your people that you fight for them, show them that you would be a better leader than Ozai, then overthrow him." I froze. She was suggesting I defeat my father, did she know what she was saying? No one in the fire nation would ever accept my rule if I overthrew my father. I would be assassinated before I could even take the crown.

"Blasphemy." I snarled. How could I overthrow my father? He had done what he had to. Punish his only son so that he could learn from his mistake. My father was all powerful in the fire nation no one would ever challenge his word there. It was exactly what I had said, blasphemy. My hands caught on fire. I needed to show this ignorant peasant that she knew nothing of Agni and her people.

Blasphemy?" she snarled, lips curling over her teeth like some feral animal pulling herself to her full height. If she was attempting to intimidate me, she was failing. She looked at me straight on, dark brown eyes meeting my gold ones.

"Blasphemy?" She repeated before starting in on me, taking several steps forward unconsciously.

"Is it blasphemy to want a cruel dictator taken off the throne? Do you even know how much pain your so called father has inflicted? Because of him, families have been torn apart lives ripped to shreds." She threw her arm out as if gesturing to the entire island we were standing upon.

"He has left children to become old men and women in young bodies. Some of those children will never see their parents again. And he hasn't just left the earth kingdom that way. Look at what he's done to his country. Heck, look at what he has done to his family." Look what he has done to his family. This girl knew something, something about the royal family that no one else but nobles knew. But she was wrong. My father had done nothing to hurt his country he loved the fire nation.

"MY FATHER DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LEARN A LESSON."

"YOUR FATHER BURNED YOU BECAUSE BECAUSE YOUR ARE TEN TIMES THE MAN HE EVER COULD DREAM OF BEING." I reeled back, stunned. This strange girl, this nobody of a peasant not only knew it was my father who burned me, but also believed that I was better than him. Her voice rang in my ears. Ten times the man he ever could dream of being. Ten times the man he ever could dream of being.

I was snapped out of my train of thought by her once again. This time her voice soft and low.

"You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko. Your father saw that and recognized it as a threat. You would have stopped the entire war once you understood what was going on." There was no way she honestly believed that. Why did she think so highly of me? What does she see that I didn't?

"You have the heart to be a good leader," she continued, "one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his people would rise against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the people's love." Had I the heart of a good leader? Who was this girl? How did she know me? What did she now about me? All those questions and more swirled around my head. I needed to know.

"How… what… who are you?" I stuttered all the questions trying to escape at once, leaving my voice hoarse and giving me a large stutter.

She smiled coyly as though she knew something I didn't, which she must otherwise she wouldn't have been able to hang it over my head. Otherwise, she wouldn't know me so well.

"I'm a girl who looks a part of the Earth Kingdom, was adopted into the water tribe, with the soul of an air nomad. I suppose you can say I am a girl of all nations." She didn't seem to care about what she was saying, shrugging her shoulders like she stated that every day. A girl of all nations. Yet… it hit me like a bolt of lighting. I'm a girl who looks earth kingdom. She wasn't Earth King she was adopted into the water tribe, and the air benders were extinct. That only left one nation as her homeland. Fire nation.

This girl was fire nation. It was the only answer that made sense, the fact she looked like she belonged to one of the higher classes of the earth kingdom wasn't that unusual, it was exceptionally common in the colonies or the poorer parts of my homeland. Our homeland technically.

"What?" The girl asked, looking confused. Had she not meant to give the hint or was I dong something strange? I shook myself out of my stupor.

"Nothing," I blurted, suddenly not wanting to disappoint her. She was from my homeland, and she believed I would be a better Fire Lord than my father.

Part of me, a part that spoke in Azula's voice whispered that she was delusional. I ignored it. I wanted to believe that she honestly believed in me. I wasn't sure why but it felt… nice. The girl looked up and closed her eyes. I wasn't sure what she was doing until she turned back to me.

"Your men are burning down the village. I need to go, my friends, are probably leaving soon anyways. If you want, call for the avatar. Aang will fight you, and you can keep on this wild goose chase or… I'll leave that to you. Still if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." She turned away when it occurred to me I didn't know something that was very important.

"What's your name?"

"Madison, Maddi for short. My water tribe name is Palartok. Pala for short." She smiled then tore off. I stayed still for a moment before hurtling back into the battle. Running to my men, I searched the skies. There, the bison with the brown arrow was taking off. On its back was the familiar forms of the avatar and his water tribe peasant friend. Maddison and the water tribe boy weren't there.

* * *

 

Maddi

I slipped out from behind the houses. Somehow the Kyoshi warriors were holding the fire soldiers off fairly well. Could it be possible that Zuko the best trained on his ship besides Iroh? That didn't make sense, but it was beginning to look that way. Then again, the Kyoshi warriors were fighting with a ferocity I had never seen from them before. I didn't have a chance to wonder why because I heard Sokka call my name.

"Pala!" I turned, a smile on my face only for it to freeze there. Sokka was crouched next to a wooden building, one of the few that wasn't burning at all. Beside him was Suki, but she wasn't kissing him, she wasn't moving at all. Her head lolled to the side, unconscious and her left leg was bent at an angle that shouldn't exist on a human body. I felt sick. Suki, sweet, kind, Suki was injured. I tore over to Sokka, taking a spot beside him. First things first.

"Is she breathing?" Sokka nodded, I noticed his hands were shaking as he supported her head. I worried for a moment that her neck was broken, but it didn't look that way, not that I knew anything. I had gone through a basic first aid course two years ago for a refresher on my babysitting license, but I hardly remembered any of it.

"Keep her safe I'll get a healer here," I stated before tearing off across town. I tried to remember the name of the healer here, but it escaped me. Instead, I shouted, calling for a healer in a panicked voice. If Suki died the story would change forever, but more importantly, If Suki died I would have lost a friend, and it would have all been my fault. The healer stepped out of one of the buildings that weren't burning and far from the fire. She came running at my call, running right past me. I didn't argue, instead following her. In my head, a mantra chanted out. Don't let her die dear God protect her, please.

Both the healer, whose name I still didn't remember, and I skidded to a stop next to Suki. I was dimly aware that I had been leading the woman here, but I was to focused on my friend to care. Sokka was looking near hysterical, and I didn't exactly feel much better. The healer ignored us both, instead gently moving over to Suki with experienced eyes. She took the girl's wrist and felt for a pulse before relaxing visibly. She then dug into her bag, pulling out a pair of rods and white cloth strips.

"You," she snapped at Sokka, "grab her leg here, firmly." Sokka did as she asked, wrapping his hands above the break. The healer then grabbed Suki's at the break and with a sickening sound set the leg back into a normal position. Quickly the healer took both rods and wrapped the linen cloths around the rods and Suki's leg. Once that was finished, she took a small container, uncorked it and waved it under Suki's nose. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors woke slowly. She seemed a little out of it, her head lolling to the side as she nearly fell asleep again. I heard the healer cuss beside me.

"By the mother of faces." She hissed causing me to look at her. I had seen the comic The Search, but I hadn't realized that people would feel free to call the names of spirits whenever they wanted.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"She's hit her head and contracted the sleeping illness." She replied tersely, "if she falls asleep she may never wake up." I started, looking at Suki in shock. A concussion. I remembered that I had gotten one as well a long time ago, but it had been an easy fix in my world. Sometimes it was hard to keep in mind that the medicines and medicinal practices they had here in this world were less effective than the ones at home. Then again they didn't need to worry about superbugs that much because they didn't have issues with people taking heavy medication for every little thing. I noticed Sokka waving the smelling salts under Suki's nose to keep her awake. Suki responded slowly, whispering something that only Sokka could hear. Sokka replied, equally as quiet. I left the two to their private conversation and instead turned to focus on the village around us. Zuko's soldiers were gone, only the crackling fire and injured Kyoshi warriors that said they had been here.

"Is Suki going to be okay?" Kai asked, looking worriedly at her leader who was still softly conversing with Sokka, who suddenly seemed very bashful. Had I missed something in the short time I was observing the village? The healer told the Kyoshi warriors the same thing she said to me, that Suki should be alright as long as she didn't fall asleep until this time tomorrow.

It began to rain. I jumped as the torrential downpour struck all at once drenching everyone. The droplets stung where they fell, hard and fast, like icy needles pricking our skin. While the 'rain' was nasty and smelled a bit like dead fish, I noticed that the fires were going out. I grimaced when I realized the rain was getting Unagi spit. Still it did the trick and by the time the water stopped all the fires had been put out.

"Maddi!" I turned to see Aang running up to me.

"Where's Sokka? We got to go."

"He's with Suki," I quickly explained, "she was hurt in the battle pretty badly." Aang's expression went from worried to that of a kicked puppy. I didn't have time to wonder why.

"Will she be okay?" He asked. I nodded.

"She'll be okay now we need to go right?" Aang nodded so I turned back and called to Sokka. The water tribe warrior looked up and hurried over. Aang gestured to us, and we followed him quickly to where Appa stood near the wooden statue of Kyoshi. Sokka and I clambered up along with Aang.

"Yip yip!" Aang cried, and we took off. As we flew, I looked over Appa's back to stare into the water. I caught myself smiling at the sight of Zuko's ship. I was sure I had started to make a difference and from now on, nothing was going to hold me back.


	8. Mad King Bumi

Omashu. It was a beautiful view from the cliff we stood upon to huge cone shaped city. At the top was a brilliant green palace which housed King Bumi, Aang's old friend. I wondered for a moment how Bumi became the King of Omashu. It was in the earth kingdom, therefore under the rule of the Earth King. Unless it was a city-state Bumi shouldn't be calling himself King at all. I glanced at Aang, who was grinning excitedly and at Sokka, who was staring at the small city in awe. For him, it was beyond impressive. Buildings made out of stone, wood and brick would last a great deal longer than the tents of animal hide and igloos that the southern water tribe used as their homes. They were also more durable than the all wooden houses of Kyoshi Island. Katara looked just as impressed as her brother, staring at the city with wide eyes. I too was impressed it was one thing to see a city like this on TV, but it was entirely different to see it in real life.

"Come on I have so much to show you guys." Aang cried, his face alight.  He took three steps before realizing the rest of is weren't following him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, using airbending to spin himself back to face us.

"Well… back on Kyoshi island, remember how Zuko found us?" Katara asked. Aang nodded. Katara had spilled the beans, so now the entire group knew that the 'crazy stalker guy' was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. Aang had gotten confused as to how I knew his name, so I fibbed and said I had heard the prince's uncle call him Prince Zuko. That had made Katara look at me strangely until I added that it was common knowledge that the prince had been banished. It had been a close call, and it had caused me to wonder when I was going to tell my friends about my knowledge. For now, I was just going with the flow, but sooner or later I would have to fess up and tell my friends that I had known their future even before I had met them. I wasn't looking forward to that conversation so for now I was avoiding it as best I could.

"Yeah," Aang replied, "so?"

"Well, Sokka and I were thinking… it might be better for you to be disguised so he won't find us. We don't want him to come storming into Omashu." Katara shuffled her feet, looking away from Aang. I could tell she didn't want to order him about, but she did feel that she was protecting us, and to Katara, there was nothing more important. Aang frowned but seemed to understand the reasoning behind it. 

* * *

I stared blankly at the box we were 'borrowing' and quickly decided I did not want to be part of this roller coaster ride. Aang bounced in then, Sokka and lastly Katara. I stayed out. That caught Aang's attention.

"Maddi? Aren't you coming?" I shook my head.

"Sorry Aang, I am not interested." The young avatar, though, wouldn't take no for an answer he gave me the biggest pair of puppy eyes I had ever seen. The big gray orbs were unnaturally cute. I groaned, knowing full well I was going to regret this decision and clambered in behind Katara.

The ride was crazy. I couldn't keep up with everything that was happening. One second we were being chased by a rack of spears, the next we were crashing through apartment buildings. It all seemed to happen so quickly then, just as quickly we landed on the cabbage merchant's stall. Destroying his cabbages for the second time that day.

Then, just as quickly we were marched up to Bumi's castle. Aang, Sokka, Katara and I were shoved down onto our knees in front of the poorly dressed royal figure. Bumi looked ancient his skin was covered in moles, pockmarks, and wrinkles. His back was deformed, but I knew that to be not from an actual hunchback but from the way he hid his muscular body.

"Off with their heads! One for every piece of mutilated cabbage!"

"I don't think there are enough heads here." I felt no sorrow for teasing the guy who wanted my friends, and I killed, even if we did ruin his livelihood. He had proved that those cabbages were easily replaced.

"Silence. Only the king can give them their sentence." I looked at my friends. Katara was giving her best, innocent little girl look Sokka was pleading mentally and Aang… seemed uninterested. Bumi caught my eye, and I noticed he was watching me. Curious I met his gaze, a single eyebrow raised.

"Throw them…" Bumi started, causing the entire area to fall quiet. Everyone was completely focused on Bumi.

"A feast!" I snorted, classic Bumi. I turned when I heard a thud the cabbage merchant had fainted.

* * *

The feast was prepared surprisingly quickly. Knowing Bumi, this was probably common. Either way, we ended up sitting across from the King, Aang and Katara in the middle of the table and Sokka and I on the edges.

"You must forgive me, but my people have become fat from multiple feasts. So I hope you like your chicken without any skin." Sokka wasn't able to answer, his mouth stuffed full. While I agreed it was nice to eat meat again, he was overdoing it.

"It's fine, thank you," I replied quickly which Katara and Aang were exchanging looks.

"How about you, bald kid in the middle?" Aang was looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Ah, no thanks. I don't eat meat."

"Oh? Pity, you're missing out on quite a good fare." Aang shrugged. I was paying more attention to Bumi then my friends, which was the only reason why I saw the elderly earthbender take a leg of chicken out of his sleeve and throw it at Aang. To Aang and the others, it seemed that the leg of chicken practically appeared out of nowhere. Aang caught the chicken with a gust of air, causing it to look like it was spinning between his hands like magic. I had to admit I was impressed. I still loved seeing bending at work. Briefly, I wondered what it would be like to bend, to control all that power. I pushed the thoughts aside. I didn't have time to wonder about that right now.

"We have an Airbender in our midst!" Bumi called to his guards.

"And not just any Airbender, the avatar." Alarm filled Aang's expression. He dropped the chicken leg, shoving his hands behind his back as if to hide the deed. Then again, this was Bumi, the crazy king, what more did I expect?

* * *

The 'Newly Refurbished Chamber that was Once Bad' was surprisingly nice. Also, there was an extra bed in it so instead of three there were four. I wondered briefly if upon seeing me Bumi had ordered in an extra bed. I decided not to question it too much and instead flopped onto one of the green beds. It was beautiful and surprisingly comfortable for something that had once been a prison. I heard my friends talking, but I was to exhausted to care. The bed was soft and comfortable and while the gems in. The walls did give off a light, and the glow was soft enough that sleep wouldn't be hard to come by.

I must have fallen asleep sooner than I thought for the nest thing I knew I was waking up with a hand pressed over my mouth. I yelped in shock, but the sound was muffled. I noticed Katara and Sokka fighting their captors. Despite our struggles, we were dragged out of the chamber and into an earthen corridor. It was only after we were sealed away from Aang that the guards let go of our mouths. Katara started calling for Aang Sokka started making threats, but I remained quiet. I was thinking, hard. Finally, I spoke.

"I demand to see king-" I caught myself from saying Bumi's name and corrected my sentence.

"I demand to see the King." The guard holding my arms chuckled.

"Sorry but no one sees the king unless the king wants to see them." There was the sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor at a breakneck pace. It was a thin man who was looking rather desperate. Panting he stopped upon coming up to us.

"Forgive me for intruding," he gasped, wiping a sheen of sweat off his brow, "but the king has demanded to see the one called Madison." I blinked in surprise. Well, that had worked out well.

"That's me." 

I was escorted down to see King Bumi in the same chamber that he would be seeing Aang in later. Much to my horror he was wearing the purple garment that he had faced Aang in. I grimaced if I had thought it looked wrong in the cartoon that was nothing compared to this. If there's one thing I could say about Bumi though, it was that he never felt shy to state what he was thinking. Which is why as soon as the guards left he came straight up to me then said at point blank.

"So Madison how are you enjoying our world?" I gaped at Bumi in utter shock. How on earth had he figured it out that didn't come from this world? How on earth did he know?

"What are you, omnipotent?" I blurted out. Bumi laughed but didn't answer. Instead, he asked with a loud cackle.

"What do you think of my outfit?"

"I'm not the one wearing it, you are." Was my quick response. Honestly, I thought the outfit was horrific and worthy of being burned, but I didn't want to offend Bumi, the lives of my friends were possibly on the line. I doubted that but better safe than sorry.

"Humm," Bumi replied.

"So what did you want me here for?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Why did you ask for me?" He retorted. I grimaced, well I might as well put my cards down, Bumi wouldn't let me keep them hidden.

"As you know I'm from another world.  Well, I also know the path this world is going to take-"

"Is or was?" Bumi chuckled. I stopped, feeling slightly unnerved. Coughing uncomfortably I continued.

"I'm… not sure yet," I admitted before continuing. Bumi leaned back on a chair he must have bent into creation for I was sure it hadn't been there before.

"Well, I know that you were going to use creeping crystal on our fingers so instead… take me prisoner." I was beginning to feel uncomfortable, Bumi's knowing stare seemed to pierce through my logic and sharp wit to see something soft and venerable inside.

"And why should I do that? For all, I know they'll leave you behind."

"They would never do that!" I cried. Aang, Sokka, and Katara were my friends even if they were younger than me they would never leave me behind, and I would never leave them behind.

"Even if you could go home?" My heart skipped a beat. I was suddenly aware of everything going on around me. I wanted to go back but… I felt a pang in my heart. Sokka, Katara, all the people from the water tribe and even Aang had become close to me. They had befriended me and even more, become a second family. I had become so close to them in such a short time… how painful would the thought of leaving be after Ozai was defeated? And yet I still wanted to see my family, at least say a proper goodbye, tell them how wonderful it was here, joke with my sister how much she reminded me of Toph or how cute Sokka, her Avatar crush was. Then I'd give them every little detail I could remember, everything I could think of.

I couldn't answer. It seemed like I stood there forever. I was stuck. Going home, I would be able to see my family again, assure them that I was safe and happy. But I knew that they would never believe my story, they would think I convinced myself that my adventures in the avatar world were hiding some hidden hurt. Two months ago I would have thought the same thing. Never going back I would get a new family, new friends, a new life without the mistakes of my past but my birth family would go on believing I was dead, and I would never know if they were okay as well. That was another danger of returning, to go home and find out that I was the only survivor.

"Deal." I jumped from my thoughts to look at Bumi in surprise.

"Escort Miss Madison back to the newly refurbished chamber and make sure she is comfortable," Bumi ordered his guards. I hadn't noticed them coming in, still shell-shocked from his question. The guards were firm with their hold on me as they guided me away from Bumi's throne room and back to the chamber. I barely paid any attention my mind focused on other things of which there belonged no right answers.

* * *

I was awoken from the slumber I had fallen into out of boredom by one of the guards. I blinked and flipped over.

"The avatar has passed all of the king's tests you are free to go." I jumped up, beaming in excitement. Aang had passed like I had known he would. I all but sprinted out of the doorway the guard had been kind enough to bend open for me and down the hallway. I slowed as I approached the throne room, entering just in time to see Aang hug Bumi.

"Aang, you haven't changed a bit. Literally!" Bumi exclaimed.

"Thanks, um, Bumi can you let Maddi go now?"

"Already done," I called, grinning at the dramatic entrance. There was a yell, and suddenly I was being squished by three sets of bodies all coming in for hugs. I yelped and faked suffocation.

"Guys… can't … breathe." I was feeling so much better then I had started this morning. Maybe it was a good sleep or maybe it was the fact that my friends would never leave me, no matter what I did. I felt a stab in my heart. I shoved the feeling inside I had no good reason to suddenly lose my good mood.

"So what happened?" I asked my friends. Katara was the one who replied.

"Bumi said that he was going to hold you prisoner and let us go, we couldn't allow that, so Aang did his three tests," I smiled and hugged them again.

"I was testing your companions Aang, to see how loyal they were," Bumi explained, "you've got good friends Aang, and you'll need them if you want to succeed in your quest." Momo chattered and flew to Bumi's shoulder.

"And don't forget Momo, he'll be very useful." I looked around. Where on earth had Momo come from anyway?

"Bumi," Aang said, catching everyone's attention, "I have a challenge for you." The young avatar grinned and whispered in his old friend's ear. Bumi beamed and nodded. I stared in shock as the two raced each other out of the door like they were both still kids.

I turned and shared an exasperated expression with Katara and Sokka. Aang was such a child, but I was willing to let him have his childish moments, all to soon he would be expected to grow up. A guard walked in and noticing something missing asked, "where is the king?"

"Out using the mail delivery system as a super slide." The guard groaned from under his huge metal hat before turning and walking away, shaking his head muttering.

"I always knew there was a reason they called him Mad King Bumi." I giggled, the title fit so well. It seemed like I was not the only one to find it funny either a few seconds later Sokka and Katara joined me in laughter.

* * *

Bumi saw us off with that giant smile of his and a money pouch to help us along our way. Aang and the crazy king had said a heartfelt goodbye before we left. Just as we were walking out the door, Bumi grabbed my shoulder.

"No one knows what the future holds," he stated firmly, a grave expression in his crazy eyes.

"And no one, even if they know it can predict it," he added. I stared at Bumi for the longest time. Just how much about my situation did this crazy guy know? And how crazy was he?

While we rode Appa away, I tried to figure out what he meant. No one knows the future even if they know the future? What did he mean? What did he see that I didn't? I couldn't understand I couldn't ever guess at what Bumi was aware of. All I knew was that I had to make my choices and hope for the best. I couldn't stop trying to make a difference I couldn't sit idly by and just watch things happen. I needed to feel useful like I was doing something good.


	9. It's All About Respect

We were in desperate need of supplies. I stared at the remains of the food we had gotten from Omashu. We didn't even have enough food to give us a small lunch. Let along a dinner. None of us were particularly worried about lunch as that meal was usually very light. Dinner was another matter entirely.

"Well, I'm going hunting," Sokka stated, standing up, his boomerang and club in hand. Aang shot up, eyes wide.

"You can't!"   
"Why can't I?" Sokka asked, "if I don't we'll starve until we find a town."

"Can't you find something else to eat?" Aang asked, sounding slightly hopeful, "fruits, berries… nuts?" I jumped and looked up from where I had been petting Momo. The lemur, disturbed by my sudden change of position chattered and flew off, but not before throwing something at my head. It bounced off into Aang's line of sight. He picked it up and showed it to Sokka, a big smile on his face.

"See? Nuts." I peered at the item and was surprised to recognize it as an acorn. Sokka scoffed at the discovery, this time bringing Katara's attention to them.

"Like you could make a meal from that."

"You can make a meal out of it." Aang pointed out, "we just need a lot."

"By the time you pick enough for a meal, I bet I could have caught two sparrow-hares and cooked them to perfection." Sokka challenged. Aang didn't rise to the challenge.

"No. I won't let you."   
"Do you even know where you could find enough nuts to feed all of us?" Sokka snapped, his temper flaring. "Because I can with one animal. What is it with you and this vegetarian thing anyway? Not eating meat doesn't make sense."

"The monks told us that all life is sacred," Aang explained, there was a terse tone in his voice and strain around his eyes, "you can't just slaughter something for just any reason."

Sokka stared at Aang, unable to speak at all. Finally, he looked at Aang blankly before snapping.

"Fine, you pick your nuts. If you can come up with enough, I'll add it to our diet. Fair?"

"Yep." Aang chirped before walking up to the tree behind me and slamming it with a wave of air. At least five dozen good sized nuts fell from the tree. As did Momo, his pouched cheeks stuffed full. I groaned. Great, nuts. On the plus side, though, I realized, this meant that we were getting closer to the next familiar checkpoint for me. Episode five, imprisoned.

I could barely believe I had been in this world for two months and was only reaching episode five now. Then again, this world was real, so time moved at a reasonable rate. This journey had action, but it was far less than how the series portrayed it to be. The series had sixty-one episodes and it at the least would span four maybe five months. I was beginning to realize that this journey took a lot longer than that. We had left the South Pole during its summer months when the sun was always in the sky. That happened during the rest of the world's fall and winter. About September to January from what I understood. While I had thought that Kyoshi Island was in the middle of winter, I had been wrong. I had discovered a few weeks ago that the wheat harvest had just come in about a month before I arrived in this world. Since wheat is harvested in late August, early September that meant that the time of year must be around October or November. We had a lot of time to kill before the comet was going to come.

Of course, this was mostly estimation and logic on my part. That, and the fact I enjoyed learning new things which is how I knew the basic times of the south pole's summer months and when wheat is usually harvested. 

"Hey Pala, help me out here," Sokka called, distracting me from my thoughts. I looked up to see the elder water tribe sibling staring at a handful of nuts, the most baffled expression on his face.

"Help you with what?" I asked walking over. Sokka shoved his handful into my hands.

"How do you eat these things?"

* * *

Dinner was a tense affair. Not only were the chestnuts extremely bitter, a trait that Aang said was common in this type of nut, but Sokka and Aang sat as far apart as they could from each other. This left Katara and me in a very uncomfortable position. Stuck as unwilling mediators. I was confused myself as to why Sokka was so upset, and it wasn't just Sokka who was angry. Katara wasn't talking much to Aang either which left me as the real mediator.

I was woken that night by the sound of an animal in pain. Shooting upright I looked around. Aang and Katara were both asleep on either side of me but Sokka, who usually slept beside his sister, was gone. I slowly eased myself from between the younger two of our group and then out into the wilds. I had never really bothered to put an effort into tracking people down before so trying to find Sokka was hard.

"Sokka?" I called, trying to find the elusive water tribe prince. I could hear his voice, but the words were impossible to make out. I followed the sound until I came to a clearing. There was a cliff nearby I saw Sokka sitting crouched next to a pile of fallen rocks. There was something brown next to him. The creature, a deer like a creature with a set of impressive horns, gave one last loud cry before its body relaxed.

"Sokka!" I yelped in surprise. He had just killed the animal. I didn't have an issue with that personally, but Aang was going to be furious if he found out. To my surprise, Sokka raised a single hand in a dismissive sign and began chanting.

I forgot the worry I had felt for Sokka and Aang's relationship as I was caught up in the strange tribal chant. I recognized the language as the language of the water tribes. I still knew little to none of the words, but the tone was reverent. I caught Sokka's name in his language, but that was about it.

The chant ended, leaving Sokka still kneeling beside the carcass of the animal. Slowly I walked over to Sokka and peered over his shoulder. It was then I understood why he had taken the animal's life. The hind legs of the animal were crushed under several large boulders. There was nothing any of us could have done. The animal was ultimately going to die.

"Go ahead, say it."

"Say what?" I asked Sokka. My attention was caught by a long curved knife made out of bone, intricate designs carved into its surface. Sokka was cleaning the weapon like he used it all the time but I had never seen him with it before. Still, the weapon was clearly water tribe in make it couldn't have come from anywhere else.

"Tell me how we could have saved it or that I'm not treating all life as sacred."

"I'd never say that," I insisted, "Sokka, I know that there are times when animals can't be saved. And I've learned from the water tribe that if it comes down to it, the life of an animal or your tribe, the tribe wins every time. Besides, I like eating meat." Sokka paused and looked at me, then smiled.

"So what was with the chant?" I asked as Sokka began pushing the boulders away from the animal's hind legs.

"That was a prayer actually," Sokka corrected, "I was thanking the moose-deer's spirit for giving us its body to use so we could survive."

"Are we going to use its meat?" I asked, "I'm pretty sure Aang would protest."

"I'm not going to disrespect Aang," Sokka explained, "But it is a little unfair…" he grunted, pushing another boulder away, "that he expects us to follow his ideals."

"I can understand that," I admitted, "you guys are giving up so much to help him."

"I'm not upset about that." Sokka explained, leaning against the boulder he had just moved, "I'd give up more to help him and my sister, I just would like to see that he's willing to give back some." I walked over and leaned against the same boulder.

"It all comes down to respect doesn't it?" Sokka gave me a soft smile and nodded.

Sokka and I found a small trading post a few miles away after we had finished saving what we could. The guy at the trading post was more than willing to accept the moose-deer's antlers, coat and the salvageable meat in return for a good amount of money. When we returned the amount was secretly added to the coin sack Bumi had given us.

As I lay in my sleeping bag, gazing up at the star-filled sky, unable to sleep, I allowed my mind to wander to my companions. Maybe it wasn't the adventure itself or the multiple bonding experiences that kept the Gaang together, but the fact that all of them were willing to give up everything and anything for the sake of a single member. That thought made me stop and think. What did I have to offer, what did I have that I would be willing to give? It seemed to me that I had nothing to offer. How could someone who had nothing to give, give at all?

* * *

It was five days later that we found Haru. Sokka had been struggling to find nuts, and I was starting to get frustrated with Aang. Sure he was still a kid, but he couldn't honestly expect Sokka to know where nuts naturally grew when plants were seldom seen on the pole.

There were a huge reverberating sound and a shock wave ripped through our camp. I jumped, feeling panic well up within me. The first word that came into my head was 'earthquake'. I took a deep breath, it wasn't an earthquake, it was Haru bending. It wasn't an earthquake it was Haru bending.

"Are you alright Pala?" Katara asked, worry creasing her brow. I nodded, "Yeah, I thought it was an earthquake." I saw my friends exchanged worried looks, but I brushed it off, "well are you coming to check it out or not?"

We found Haru a few meters away from us, earthbending in a ditch. I watched in curiosity earthbending was impressive, but I didn't find it as impressive as fire, water or airbending. Haru looked just like he had in the series except more real. His hands and shoes were covered in dirt, and he had a smear of the stuff across his forehead where he had probably wiped sweat away. I stopped and waited for the others to catch up. Katara didn't stop beside me as I had expected her to. Instead, she just kept walking.

"Excuse me." Haru spun around, dropped his boulder, took off down the ditch and then earthbended a huge portion to block our way in the span of a minute. I was left gaping at just how fast he moved, then again when people are desperate… I was pulled from my thoughts by Katara turning around.

"Why did he run away? I was just trying to be friendly."

"Hey, he had to be running somewhere," Aang chirped before I could answer, "probably a village."

"And a village means no more nuts for dinner!" The two took off, clambering over the small mound and to the other side.

"I worked hard for those nuts!" Sokka shouted, following after them. I shook my head and followed, barely paying attention to the feeling of Momo landing on my shoulder. I hurried up the hill standing on the top I looked out over the peninsula we were on. There was the little village sitting next to the water and far away in the distance, a smudge of black against the bright sky. The earthbender's prison.

"Pala what are you waiting for? Come on!"

"Coming," I called before running down to where my friends all stood waiting for me.

* * *

The village was miserable. That was the best description. Fire Nation soldiers patrolled the area, dressed finely with beards trimmed and armor shined. The village itself didn't match. Animal droppings filled the streets, the houses were old, some falling apart, the people looked repressed and downtrodden. We picked our way through the streets, trying not to look around too much. Fitting in was impossible, even with me wearing the earth kingdom dress from Kyoshi.

Katara spotted Haru going into his mother's shop and pointed him out to the rest of us before chasing after him. I groaned and followed behind. Honestly, would it kill her to wait for us?

The shop inside was small, a few foodstuffs were scattered here and there, but otherwise, it was empty. Business must be awful.  Then again based on the state of this town, everything was terrible.

"Why did you run away?" Haru spun around, eyes wide.

"Haru?" His mom asked, leaning over the counter to look at these strange people who had just barged into her store.

"I don't know these people are crazy. Just look at the way they're dressed." The comment was obviously for the airbender and water tribe siblings, but I couldn't help but feel a little insulted by it.

"We saw you earthbending," Katara challenged, blue eyes just begging for Haru to challenge her.

"Haru! I've told you before you can't earthbend-"

"No one saw me!" Haru exclaimed, giving up his facade of ignorance. Haru's mother sent her son a stern sections gaze, one that I knew quite well as 'we'll be talking about this later.' It was a look my mother would often give me when I was in trouble.

"You can't tell Haru not to earthbend," Katara implored, "that would be like telling me not to waterbend, it is a part of who we are." I shook my head. How had we gone from demanding he explain himself to arguing against his mother for his sake? Then again, it was Katara doing all the speaking. Aang seemed supportive but couldn't work a word in edgewise, and Sokka looked nearly traumatized.

"Katara," I called before this could go any further, "you've seen the fire nation forces here. Do you think they'd tolerate an ability that could smudge up their shiny clothes?" The sarcasm ran thick off my tongue. I knew it wasn't the appropriate time, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Looking at the slum this town was and knowing it was the fault of those soldiers, parading around in shiny suits made my blood boil.

"What can they do that they haven't done already?" Katara asked turning to me; it was Haru's mother that answered.

"They could take Haru away, just like they took his father." A knock on the door distracted us from the conversation. Sokka hurried over to the closed blinds and lifted a single panel.

"Fire nation, act natural."

Of course, this meant that when the fire nation walked in everything was awkward. Aang and Sokka were pretending to have a funny conversation but upon seeing the soldiers, their funny words dried up. Katara was looking a hand of grapes she had grabbed from somewhere and was looking it over critically… in the middle of the room. I had caught Haru and assessing his age as being close to mine whispered an instruction in his ear then proceeded to pretend to be a stupid girl. I batted my eyelashes and twisted a bit of hair around my finger. Haru had been doing an excellent job of pretending to flirt with me as the soldiers walked in but his words vanished upon seeing them approach his mother.

"Tax just got raised," the lead man sneered while I wondered why five soldiers were needed to deal with an old shopkeeper and her teenaged son. Haru's mother didn't move so the soldier moved forward, a flame appearing just above his palm.

"I'd listen if I were you, fire can be so… temperamental." At his last word the little flame grew before disappearing when the man closed his hand. That was a serious threat, especially since this entire village was practically made from tinder. Haru's mother quickly spun on her heels and grabbed the cash box from under her counter. She quickly showed it to the soldiers. They grabbed the coins before throwing three of the little bronze colored ones on the carpet.

"Keep the copper." He smiled at me, his eyes roaming up and down. They flicked back to Katara only once, but Katara was only fourteen and therefore not of much interest. She still had ways to go before she would become the beauty I knew she was. I, on the other hand, had womanly curves, few as they were, and was legal age in this world.

I didn't have to fake the shiver that ran up my spine.

The soldiers left. I took a great big sigh the second the door was closed and turned to my friends. Haru's mother had finished putting the money away in the cash box.

"I'm sorry," Katara looked around then quickly returned the grapes to their spot, "I didn't know."

"I understand that," Haru's mother replied, "but the sooner you all leave, the better."

* * *

I was woken up the next day by Katara shouting that Haru had been arrested, and it was all her fault. I felt awful but there was little I could do now, Haru was already gone.

"We need to save him," Katara told us firmly, "it's my fault he is there in the first place."

"Listen Katara I know your upset and all but there is no way any of us can get into that prison."

"Yes, I can." Katara corrected, "because I'm going to get arrested for earthbending."

"You're crazy." Sokka deadpanned. Katara sent a pointed glare at her brother before turning to us.

"Listen, so I was thinking…"


	10. First Battle

I accepted the cup of tea with a small smile. Haru's mother took her cup and sat across from me. The atmosphere was tense but not because of the relationship between us, or lack of one, but because we both had our minds fixed upon someone we cared for. Katara was with Haru in that metal abomination that I was tempted to drag Toph to the second I could. Fifteen minutes after Katara was taken away I had given up Sokka and Aang as lost causes and went to Haru's mother.

"So what did your young friend do to convince the soldiers that she was an earthbender?" I looked up from the tea into the wrinkled face of the woman across from me.

"We pretended to get into an argument about which one of us deserved Sokka's attention more. Then Aang used the ventilation shafts in the mine to lift a rock and make it look like earthbending." I took a sip of the warm liquid and allowed myself to relax.

"That was quite ingenious, who made the plan?"

"Katara came up with the false bending idea I wrote the script. Otherwise, they would have gotten into an argument that would peak with insults about Sokka's ear size."

"Oh dear." I laughed at the look on her face. She smiled warmly before taking another drink, her eyes suddenly dark.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, "I promise we won't let anything happen to Haru."

"I'm not worried that Haru will be hurt…" she trailed off, suddenly refusing to meet my eyes.

"Then what's bothering you?"

"I'm worried that Haru will be there… and won't find his father."

I frowned, why would Haru's mother fear something like that. If he was dead wouldn't she know? I took a thoughtful sip of tea before voicing my previous question aloud.

"Wouldn't they bring the body to your village for burial?"

"No. When someone dies on that thrice accursed place, their bodies are thrown overboard and left to the mercy of the tides. We only know all that because two bodies were washed on shore five years ago. We still have others come in all the time, but no one knows how high the death count is. Many of us say prayers to the spirits, the same ones that we would repeat at funerals when someone is caught earthbending." I stared at Haru's mother, tea forgotten. I had known thing were bad here but, I had no idea of how bad. The knowledge that the warden threw anyone who pissed him off overboard had been wrong. I had never connected the action with the death that ultimately would follow. All the soldiers were dressed in thick, heavy armor. They wouldn't have had a chance. Now I learned that the people back home would never know if their loved ones were still alive… it reminded me of my situation. Perhaps, in a way, my family and I were living like that. I was on the boat, lost in worry and confusion never knowing what had happened to them after I had left. They were here, on the other side hoping, praying that I was alive but slowly, losing hope.

"I'm sorry, burdening you with my troubles while you have a friend on that abomination. I shouldn't have said that I've kept it from Haru, and you two are of a similar age." I shrugged, trying to push away the sudden feeling of dread that had made a home at the bottom of my stomach. I knew full well that this world was real but had somehow forgotten what it meant to be caught in a middle of a war. An image of Suki lying barely conscious on Kyoshi Island flashed through my mind.

"I guess…" I added suddenly, "that we all have our demons to face and sharing them with others can ease the burden for a while." Haru's mother sent me a piercing glance before asking shrewdly.

"And what are the demons that you face?" I sighed and looked away, finishing off the cup of tea too quickly for my taste.

"I… I'm not ready to share them yet," I admitted quietly. Haru's mother smiled and patted one of my hands.

"Give yourself time, and when you're ready to tell your friends. They're good kids they'll listen to you." I smiled softly unwilling to admit that was part of my fear. That they would listen and see the sort of person they called their friend. A liar, a coward, a confused and scared little girl in a woman's clothes. Or worse yet not see that and begin to use me as a guide on how to live their lives. I wanted my friends to listen to me but not because they would fear the choices they would make otherwise.

* * *

That night I sat on Appa's back with Sokka, both of us tense. Aang sat on Appa's head, face unusually severe.

The metal bars were spaced far enough apart that anyone would be able to walk through. They merely served as a reminder that beyond was a body of water that no one but a healthy well-trained athlete, a waterbender or a large flying animal could cross. Katara stepped outside and joined us on the four-foot wide metal edging.

"Where's Haru?" Sokka asked, looking around as if the teenaged earthbender would be around somewhere.

"He doesn't know yet," Katara replied, "and I'm not bringing him."

"What happened?" I approached the water tribe girl feeling worried.

"I'm not leaving anyone behind," Katara replied. I had seen Katara get passionate before but I had never seen her this determined.

After a small argument, one that elicited a look of betrayal from Sokka when I sided with his sister, we sent Appa off and hid behind a large pile of crates.

"We don't have a lot of time," Sokka pointed out. I nodded. Hunkered down like this behind the crates was causing my back to hurt, and from the gray colour of the sky dawn would be approaching soon.

"I wish I could make a hurricane or a storm of any kind," Aang muttered, "the warden would run off and leave the keys."

"And go where? He's on a metal rig. He'd just hide and wait out the storm while we soaked his guards and the prisoners."

"What we need is some earth that we can get up here for them to bend anything." Sokka murmured turning to look at us.

"But this whole place is made out of metal." Katara pointed out, running her hand over the freezing surface of the metal rig. I shivered, suddenly reminded just how cold it was when not surrounded by the sheer wave of heat that came off Appa.

"No, it's not." I looked up to see Aang pointing at the massive column of smoke coming from the center of the rig.

"They're probably burning coal, in other words… earth."

"That's great and all, but how are we going to get the coal up here?" Sokka snapped. I could feel the frustration radiating off him in waves

"Well, what are they using the coal for?" I asked. Sokka and Aang fell silent. Katara perked up.

"Forging. This rig revolves around metal work. But they only use old metal and recycle it they can't have any raw materials within easy access." I nodded.

"That makes sense." We fell silent.

"I'll go," Aang said, standing and looking down at us. I blinked, what on earth was Aang talking about? This wasn't making much sense.

"Go where?"

* * *

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling exposed standing out in the courtyard. In a little less than five minutes the prisoners would be coming out, accompanied by guards. Aang was deep in the bowels of the rig, shutting off all the vents to the coal except one, the one that opened up to where we stood now. I was clutching my fans tightly, knuckles white. My heart was pounding. There was a battle coming, and I felt worried bubble up from deep within. In the portrayal of Kyoshi Island, no one had been injured. In the real story, several Kyoshi warriors had minor to mediate injuries, and Suki was almost critical. Here in this story, I knew that the villains died, being dumped overboard in heavy armor and not knowing how to swim made that obvious. That didn't give me any answers as to what was going to happen to the 'good guys'.

"There are the intruders!" I jumped and spun around, my back pressed against Sokka's. My eyes widened when I saw how many firebenders there were. In the TV series, it was a dozen firebenders in total, leaving them vastly outnumbered. Here there had to be nearly a hundred leaving them outnumbered only two to one. Two to one with elderly people and children being the firebenders main opponents.

"Give it up little girl." the warden mocked, his eyes focused in Katara. His eyes reminded me of how a starved wolf would look like, ravenous and desperate. It was impossible not to understand what this man was feeling for a beautiful and exotic young girl. The very thought made me shiver and want to step in front of Katara, to protect her from this man's gaze.

"He's right Katara you can't win this." A man with a long white beard and green eyes called from the crowd. That must have been Haru's father. I knew his name was mentioned in the series but for the life of me, I couldn't remember.

I felt the rumble before I heard it. The vibrations shook the whole ship, and I felt my heart leap into my throat. Coal exploded out of the vent, showering everyone standing nearby in black dust. There was a lot more than I had expected, even standing several feet away from the grate the coal covered my ankles. Aang appeared last, coughing and covered in black soot. With a gust of air, the dust was gone leaving Aang's bright colored outfit to catch everyone's attention. Katara didn't let it stay that way for long. She ran up to the highest point of the mound, grabbing a thick chunk of coal on her way and shouted.

"Earthbenders! Now is your chance to take control and free yourselves! It's up to you!" Whatever she had been expecting, silence and avoidance hadn't been it. I felt both embarrassed and proud of Katara, one for her courage and the other for how corny the speech was.

"Give it up girl these people were broken long ago. They will never be what you want them to be… oh, but you still believe in them." He paused then smiled at Katara, before leaning over the shoulder of a soldier and whispering in his ear before turning back.

"Take them away." I raised my fans and slid to stand closer to Katara. Aang spun and gripped his staff. Sokka raised his club.

1\. A piece of coal bounced off the warden's forehead. I turned slightly to see Haru spinning a handful of coal in his hands through earthbending. The firebenders attacked. I quickly lost track of everything happening as I locked eyes on a firebender advancing towards means chose him as my target. If this was a real battle, then Kyoshi island barely qualified as a skirmish. I dodged a bolt of fire that had been sent towards my head and attacking, flipped the firebender into his back. As things escalated, I focused solely on dodging, attacking, and surviving. I heard a cry and one of the earthbender's fell at my feet.

"Don't just lie there," I called, rushing forward, "get…" my words died as I took in the scene before me. The earthbender's skin was unnaturally pale the eyes were glassy and unfocused and his neck… was broken. I felt the bile rise in my throat as I stumbled back. Looking around I noticed at least a dozen people laying on the ground, earthbenders and firebenders alike. A jet of fire streaked past my ear. I cried out, and suddenly survival was much more important.

Time seemed to pass both slowly and quickly, taking eons and seconds at the same time. I had no idea how long I had been fighting for what I now realized was my life when Haru's father shouted. I finished the soldier off by knocking him aside and giving him a good dirty kick where it hurt before taking off. I stopped beside Aang, Katara, Sokka and Haru, who were helping the last earthbenders take down the remaining firebenders. Haru's father moved all the remaining coal underneath the uninjured soldier and warden before moving it over the water and dumping them in. We turned and fled.

* * *

If I hadn't been feeling so ill, I probably would have been disgruntled at how it was only Aang and I puking our guts up over the side of the ship. While Katara and Sokka were pale and shaky, Haru and the other earthbenders merely were counting the dead and tending to the injured like this was nothing new.

"Tyro!" I heard Katara exclaim over the sounds of Aang and I being sick.

"Hello, Katara," Haru's father answered, "how are they doing." I surfaced for a moment, clutching the sides of the metal boat tightly.   
"Fine," I groaned hoarsely, my voice cracked and raw. I brushed a strand of hair aside.

"Here, this should help." Tyro held out two cups I took one quickly and swished my mouth out with the water, spat, then drank the rest in a few gulps. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Aang was doing the same.

"I'm sorry that it took a group of children to make us realize that we had the power and ability to free ourselves. And I'm sorry that you had to experience all that, as necessary as it was."

"Was it necessary?" Aang challenged shooting a glare at Tyro, "Those people had families too, they didn't deserve to die."

"Neither did the six hundred earthbenders who were murdered for looking at the warden in the wrong way or denying his advances." Aang and I both fell silent under Tyro's dull gaze. Six hundred killed for pissing off the warden. How many had died from starvation, cold or sickness? I didn't want to know.

"As for the firebenders, the warden killed at least three of his own a week. In the long run, we saved hundreds of lives on both sides." Tyro stated firmly before softening and gesturing Sokka, Katara, and Haru to join the avatar and me.

"I know this is hard, and I know that it seems like you will never move on. In a way... you won't. The first man you kill will always dance behind your eyes, taunting you, making you wonder if there was any other way... It is the same for me. Every man I have killed will never let me forget him, no matter how necessary it was to kill him. Even though he is my enemy, even though he wouldn't hesitate to kill me, I'll never forget." Tyro turned to look at us firmly.

"You're right Aang, those men did have families and people who cared for them but in the end it comes down to you or him, your life needs to come first." I looked out onto the ocean and began to hum softly, a song from back on earth that I had heard so often now playing in the back of my mind. Quietly I added the words to the tune, thinking of how well this song described the situation I was in, the war I was in.

_Now if you load your rifle right_   
_And if you fix your bayonet so_   
_And if you kill that man, my friend_   
_The one they call the foe_

_And if you do it often_ lad  
 _And if you do it right_  
 _You'll be a hero overnight_  
 _You'll save your country from her plight_

Katara's voice caught my attention she was talking to Haru a small smile on her face. Then she froze as her hand grasped at her neck, eyes growing in shock.

"My mother's necklace!" She cried, panic in her voice. I groaned, I knew I had forgotten to do something.

Remember God is always right  
If you survive to see the sight  
A friend now greeting foe

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is Roger Whittaker's 'I Don't Believe in If Anymore'. I do not own the song or Avatar the Last Airbender.


	11. Spirits Part 1: Black and White

I woke up to a panicked scream. Looking about in alarm I clutched my chest, taking deep breaths. All of us had been having a rough time the last four days, each for our own reasons. Losing her mom's necklace had given Katara nightmares about 'that day' that always ended with her screaming for her mom. Aang and I were both bothered by the amount of death that had occurred on the rig and often had minor nightmares that luckily didn't disturb anyone but ourselves.

Sokka seemed the least disturbed. He slept peacefully every night unless woken by one of us. He had been quiet the first day of the trip but besides that he had been acting like himself. Whenever the rest of us started to get to down in the dumps, he would crack a corny joke and ease the tension. I couldn't stop myself from worrying if I had reacted this badly to seeing death… what was I going to do if I needed to end someone's life?

I shook myself out of my thoughts as I looked around, trying to see who had screamed this time. No one seemed disturbed, and there was no sign of tossing. I sighed. I must have screamed and woken myself up, probably forgetting the dream as I came to. A familiar chatter caused me to turn. Momo was laying on the bottom of my sleeping bag, looking fairly disgruntled. Chuckling I picked the lemur up and pulled him into the crook of my arm. Sometimes the best way to ease a nightmare was with a pet. As I snuggled in with Momo's soft ears tickling my chin, I thought back to my family. Many times I had snuggled with the family dog when I was upset, she had always known the right way to treat us. If we were sick or upset she would cuddle with us, as long as we weren't occupied with something else. That was the only downside of Peaches the sable collie had jealousy issues. That and she would welcome in a burglar, show him or her our valuables and ask for a treat at the end for a good job. At least that was a family joke, the point being that our dog was a little too friendly to make a guard dog. She was all bark and no bite. I smiled as I stroked Momo's head, eliciting something like a purr from the little guy. Of course, thinking of Peach made me think of the other members of my family. My sister, my mom, and dad. I allowed myself a small smile, remembering the good times. It no longer hurt quite so bad to think of them. My heart still ached, but I could now think of them. I was moving on, slowly but progressing.

"The chances of me going home…" I trailed off, looking at Momo's large green eyes.

"What am I doing talking to a lemur?" I questioned. Momo chittered and snuggled in. I sighed and closed my eyes, allowing myself to drift off into dreamland.

* * *

I occupied myself during the flight by fiddling with my necklace. It wasn't anything big, but it allowed me to take my mind off the nightmares and gave me a chance to appreciate the detail that had been put into the jewelry. Sokka was sharpening his boomerang, Aang was 'steering' Appa and Katara were staring idly out into space.

I traced the designs of each element thoughtfully, earth, water, air, fire. Each element had its place, and each was an important part of the world. Earth, the ground beneath out feet. Water, without it all life would perish. Air, just as essential as water. Fire, the sun of which all energy came from. Another thought occurred to me as I looked at my necklace. There had been studies as to what the human body was made of. Everyone knew a significant portion of the human body was made of water. What a lot of people didn't know was that many of the same elements found in the ground could be found in human flesh. Electricity was what gave us the ability to move our muscles and think. Without air not only would we be unable to breathe but we would also be unable to obtain energy from food since oxygen is a vital part of the way our bodies break food down. Earth, water, fire, air. Maybe they were the four great elements. Everything we knew of was made out of something related to at least one of those elements.

"The clouds look so soft, don't they? Like you could jump down and land in one big cottony heap." I looked up to see Katara leaning over Appa's side, staring at the fluffy white objects in question as they floated below us.

"I wouldn't do that," I said, tucking the medallion under my water tribe tunic, "they're not as solid as they look." The clouds did look fairly solid today, almost as though you could jump down. I smiled dreamily as I remembered my sister and I playing the 'what if' game. One of us would propose something fantastic, and the other would try to think of what the world would be like f that was true. One of my sister's favorites was 'what if the world was made of candy?' We could go for hours thinking about what each object would be turned to candy. We always agreed the clouds were made out of cotton candy.

"I'll try anyway!" Aang called, eyes bright. I watched as Aang grabbed his staff then jumped off Appa. For most people that would be the end but for an airbender, especially a hyperactive one like Aang, it was an everyday occurrence. A few seconds later Aang resurfaced, soaking wet.

"Turns out, clouds are made from water." He beamed. I felt my lips tugging at the corners before breaking into a smile. Aang's cheeriness and Sokka's humor had started to have that effect on me, no matter how bad the joke I would laugh, even if I didn't find it funny. It made a difference in the overall feeling of the group. Aang puffed out his cheeks and slammed a fist into his other hand. A massive wave of air pushed past us, pelting us with small water droplets. We were silent for a moment before breaking into laughter. It felt so good to laugh, to be happy in the company of friends.

"Let's land and have lunch," Katara suggested, glancing up at the sky, telling the time by the heat and position of the sun. It was quickly agreed. Aang took Appa's reigns, and we moved down through the clouds.

"What is that?" I leaned over Appa's side in response to Katara's shocked question. I wasn't the only one either. Sokka stared blankly at the scene below us.

"It looks like a scar." It was a good description. A mass of blackened earth stretched out in the middle of the forest moving diagonally for miles. It was a blight on the landscape.

Appa landed in a puff of ash. Coughing, I quickly slid off him. My companions quickly joined me on the ground, looking around in bewilderment. Sokka went off on his own while Aang wandered over to one of the few logs that weren't burned all the way through and sat down. I didn't move, surveying the area and trying to form an opinion on this. True, seeing a beautiful forest marred by this scar was unsettling, but a fire was a part of nature. Besides, in some ways, fire helped the forest. It would return nutrients to the soil and allow the forest to flourish.

"The Fire nation did this." Of course, my friends didn't see it that way.

"How do you know that Sokka?" I asked, "anyone could have started the fire. It might even have been an accident." In reply, Sokka held up a gauntlet. The leather was scorched, but the metal work was excellent and exquisitely crafted. Fire nation make. I sighed but didn't argue. The show hadn't even given us that to suggest who caused the fire. I stopped. I had not compared what I was going through to the show in quite a while it felt strange to start again now. Now that I thought about it, this was the start of 'The Spirit World, part 1.' That meant that we would be coming across Hei-bei soon. The giant panda spirit had intrigued me in the show, but now that I was facing the possibility of actually meeting the forest spirit I was feeling leery. This would be Aang first encounter with a spirit, his first time going into the spirit world and the beginning of our time limit. We would have until summer before the world as we knew it was lost. This was the keystone of the entire first season, maybe even the whole series and I weren't sure I was ready for it.

I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated. The world had been changing a little bit due to my actions, and now I was beginning to wonder what would happen. How much of an impact would my small changes have by the end? Could I even make a difference at all? I shook my head and turned to look at Katara and Aang, who were quietly conversing. I noticed Katara hand Aang something and a smile crept onto my face. The acorns would play a major role in the next two days.

"Hey, who are you?" I spun at Sokka's question and found myself facing an elderly man. Wrinkles covered his face, and his beard was long, falling midway down his torso. I couldn't tell what his clothes were as they were hidden under a thick woolen cape. The man completely ignored Sokka instead walking right past us to Aang.

"When I saw the bison flying, I wondered, but now that I see those markings..." he murmured before raising his voice, "are you the Avatar child?"

"That's me," Aang replied, sending a nervous glace at Katara for reassurance.

"Then I need your help my village is in terrible danger." All three of us looked at each other.

"How about you tell us what happened on the way there," I suggested. The old man nodded absently before gesturing back towards where he had come from.

"My village isn't too far that way, follow me." We were silent for a moment as we followed the old man into the forest. Then he broke the silence.

"My name is Bo, and for the last five days, our small village has been besieged by a spirit named Hei-Bei. The black and white spirit." He paused and leaned heavily on his wooden staff as he looked at us, a tired expression on his face.

"We have done everything we can think of to appease the spirit, but nothing has worked."

"Do you know why Hei-Bei is so angry?" I found myself asking, "After all, if you know why the spirit is upset then how to appease it should be easier." Bo shook his head before continuing slowly.

"No, one day everything was peaceful, the next Hei-Bei was attacking." I frowned.

"Nothing significant happened before the attacks? Nothing?" That didn't make sense Bo should have noticed the burning of the forest. At least the smoke and the ruined forest. He hadn't commented on it.

"What are you saying, Pala?" Katara asked, looking at me curiously. I sighed before explaining.

"Spirits don't do something for no reason they can't be that different from us. Just like us they need a reason to do something. Something had to happen that was big enough for the spirit to get mad enough to attack your village." I said the last part while turning to Bo, catching his eye.

"Like the fire," Sokka suggested thoughtfully, "maybe that's bothering the spirit?" I blinked and turned to look at Sokka. I hadn't meant for them to figure out what was bothering Hei-Bei so fast. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine. What had I just done?

"The fire?" Bo asked with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I suppose that's possible, but why attack us and not those who caused it?" I frowned, that was a good question actually, and it was a question that I didn't have an answer for.

"Don't worry." Aang stated, bringing himself into the conversation, "I'll find out."

* * *

"Aang you've never done something like this before," Katara stated, worry in her blue eyes, "how are you going to do this?" Aang shrugged, slightly unsure.

"I'm going to have to figure it out while I'm there," he admitted, gripping his staff firmly, "it can't be too hard now that we know why Hei-Bei's upset." I bit my lip, how badly I wanted just to tell him everything. If I did that though I would lose the advantage I had and the entire story would change forever, possibility for the worse.

"The sun is setting," Bo said, coming toward us with the head of the village, "you need to go now." Aang nodded and walked outside. I didn't move from where I stood by the only window that was open, watching the twelve-year-old saviour of the world stand alone. Aang didn't move an inch he didn't swirl his staff or call out to Hei-Bei, he just waited. I shifted uncomfortably, waiting for the spirit to come.

It happened suddenly. One moment Aang was standing alone in the center of the village, the next a giant black and white creature with six limbs stood towering above him. Given the angle, I was watching from I was able to appreciate just how huge Hei-Bei was. The spirit had to be twenty feet tall.

"You must be Hei-Bei," Aang shouted. Hei-Bei didn't move it just stared at Aang as though wondering why this tiny little human was stupid enough to talk to it.

"I'm Aang, the Avatar... umm, the great bridge guy?" I groaned, that moment was fully deserving of a face palm. I didn't take my eyes off Aang though I didn't want to miss anything. It appeared Hei-Bei was feeling the same thing because it tried to start its rampage. Aang wasn't going to let that happen.

"Wait! Listen, I know you're mad the forest was burned down so was I when I first saw it. Then a friend of mine showed me these," Aang lifted something small in his hand and showed it to Hei-Bei. The huge spirit looked down at the tiny acorn and snorted.

"Each one of these will grow into a tall tree, and the forest will be whole again." Hei-Bei was still. Neither it nor Aang moved. The two stared at each other, then, Aang's tattoo's flashed. I gasped as Hei-Bei turned into a giant panda and Aang, still glowing, climbed onto the animal's back.

"Aang!" I shouted, alarmed. What was going on? What was happening? My call came too late as Hei-Bei and Aang both vanished into the spirit world.

Katara, Sokka and I charged out into the village shouting Aang's name. This was my fault I had given too much away, and now Aang was gone. I slowed down, stopping before the exit to the village. Aang had returned in the episode, just later. I suddenly found myself smiling as I realized I knew where Aang's body would be. I charged out of the village and back the way we had come. If I followed the scar, I would find the bear statue, and that was where I would find Aang.

* * *

It was late, and I was exhausted by the time I had found the bears. Several of the carved animals surrounded the one that stood up tall, each in a slightly different position. I looked up at the top of the bear that was standing. There was Aang, meditating in the avatar state, completely unaware of how much worry he had caused us. I sighed and sat down on the back of one of the bears, giving myself some time to breathe. After I had allowed my racing heart to slow down to a normal speed, I stood and walked back to the village. The second I entered the forest I began to mark the trees on my way back, using them so I would be able to find my way back to Aang if I needed to.

By the time I found myself back at the village gates it was in the wee hours of the morning. Exhausted, I stumbled towards the first thing I saw. Appa was lying, curled up by one of the ruined houses, fast asleep. I clambered up the bison's leg and nestled myself in the crook, snuggling into the warm fur.

When I woke up, the sun was in the sky, and a very angry looking Sokka was glaring at me, hands on hips. Moaning I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sat up.

"Where were you?" I blinked at Sokka before sighing and standing up. Appa rumbled, but I ignored him.

"Sorry, I was looking for Aang, just like you guys."

"We came back at midnight, and you weren't here," Sokka replied, seeming to relax slightly.

"I found Aang." Sokka jerked and looked at me in shock before grabbing my hand and dragging me back to the big house where most people had been spending the night during Hei-Bei's attacks.

"Pala!" I gasped as all the air was knocked out of me by Katara's hug.

"We were so worried, where were you?" She stepped away, sending me a harsh glare.

"Pala said she found Aang," Sokka explained before turning back to me, "where was he? Is he okay? Why isn't he here if you found him?" I grimaced and ran my hand over my head, tugging at the braided strands.

"Aang is in the avatar state he 's not capable of going anywhere. Besides, he was sitting on top of a statue and I couldn't reach the top." I explained. I didn't mention the dangers of moving a body in the avatar state, how Aang might not be able to find his body. That would cause a lot of problems in itself. Katara and Sokka both looked troubled by the news but at the same time, relieved that we knew where Aang was and that he was safe.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," I suggested, "Aang is going to be okay." Katara nodded, not looking entirely convinced while Sokka beamed at the mention of food and the sudden realization that this meant that he could eat some meat. Sokka was gone in a flash. Katara shook her head, and we shared an exasperated look, still Sokka's antics cheered us up, and we headed off to join the rest of the village with breakfast. 

* * *

Aang didn't return until midday. The young avatar walked into the village, determined and a little grouchy. Katara spotted him first and upon seeing him shouted his name and tore down the middle of the village to hug him. I chuckled and followed quickly behind with Sokka taking up the rear. After all of us embraced Aang looked at us firmly and stated.

"I need to talk to the headman." I frowned but nodded and led Aang along with the water tribe siblings to where the headman was talking to some of the villagers, trying to calm them down. All too many had panicked when Hei-Bei had vanished with the avatar, despite the fact that less than two minutes after I had left those who had been kidnapped by the spirit returned.

"Headman, I need to speak with you," Aang called, catching everyone's attention. The headman looked surprised and nodded, walking over to greet Aang.

"It is good to see you have returned Avatar, we feared-"

"I know why Hei-Bei was so upset." Anyone who hadn't been paying attention before was listening now.

"Hei-Bei was becoming frustrated that no one was coming to care for his shrine anymore, and that no one was thanking him for the bounty of the forest. Hei-Bei is the spirit of the forest and therefore all that lives within it belongs to him." Aang explained, his voice ringing true and clear. At that moment, I no longer saw a young boy who liked to goof off I got a glimpse of the avatar Aang would be when he grew up. Powerful and self-assured.

"The fire was only the straw that broke the camel-ox's back," Aang explained, "what angered him was that no one returned to fix his shrine, which had been burned as well. A spirit's shrine is a sacred place and it is where they feel most connected to our world." I heard some people muttering amongst themselves. The village seemed bothered that it was because of their lack of dedication to maintaining the spirit's shrine that had gotten them attacked.

"I see," the headman spoke, his voice was softer than Aang's, and he looked like a chastised child, "I will make sure that Hei-Bei's shrine is properly cared for." There was silence for a moment before Aang smiled.

"Hei-Bei would like that."

"Is there anyway to repay you for what you've done?" The headman asked. I was slightly surprised by the question he didn't seem upset that the reason they were attacked was that they hadn't kept a sacred place beautiful and clean. Then again, back in my world we never had to deal with stuff like that, perhaps this wasn't uncommon.

"We need supplies, food, money, stuff like that," Sokka suggested, wincing when Katara elbowed him in the side. The headman nodded.

"It would be an honor." He stated before walking off to see what he could do.

"I'm proud of you Aang," Katara said, turning to Aang and ignoring Sokka rubbing his tender side, "you figured out how to help these people and Hei-Bei both without any help."

"I did have some help," Aang admitted, "and there's something I have got to do. I need to talk to Avatar Roku's spirit."

"How?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I need to get to a temple on an island, shaped like a crescent moon before the winter solstice."

"But the solstice is tomorrow," Katara said in surprise.

"Yeah... and the island? It's in the Fire-nation."


	12. Spirits Part 2: Five Spirits, Four Nations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick reminder to my readers since this doesn't happen often. If a POV changes it will look like this: /u/Aang/u/. In other words, it will be the name of the person who the POV is changing too, underlined and italicized. Thank you for bearing with me.   
> And special thanks to Chopped Liver for writing a comment. It made my day.

 

The atmosphere was so tense that it acted as a wall between us. Not one of us was looking forward to flying into enemy territory. Aang was pushing Appa hard, racing time itself. Currently, it looked like Appa was winning. My fans were tucked safely into a belt at my waist in case I needed to use them. Katara had filled her water-skin to the brim and Sokka had his club and boomerang ready. We were prepared to fight for our lives if we had to.

"Great, we have company." I turned at Katara's call and looked behind us. A familiar metal ship, bearing a red flag and chugging determined in our wake.

"It's Zuko," I looked at Sokka, deadpan. We all knew it was Zuko he didn't need to announce it.

"No kidding," I replied, eliciting a glare from Sokka, silently accusing me of the sarcasm.

"Guys, we have another problem," Aang called from the front. Twisting in place, I turned to stare out over the back of Appa. Ship after ship patrolled the waters in front of us, forming a clear line between earth kingdom and fire nation waters.

"A blockade." I felt a twitch of annoyance. Did Sokka feel it necessary to tell us what everything was, honestly we all knew already?

"If we go north we can avoid it," Aang shouted.

"It'll take to much time," Katara yelled back from where she was watching Zuko's ship.

"This is why I didn't want you to come it's to dangerous," Aang shouted over the wind.

"That's why we came," Katara called back. I moved over to her. Something caught the corner of my eye turning I froze.

"Fireball at five o'clock!" I shouted as Zuko's catapult went off. Appa moved to the side just in time. The ball of fire flew by, missing us but leaving a foul stench behind.

"Let's get out of here quickly before Zuko shoots another hot stinker at us." If we weren't flying for our lives, that line would be funny. I slid forward and clutched the saddle tightly peered over the edge to look at the blockade in front of us.

"Oh, we are so gonna die," I whispered. All the ships in the blockade had catapults, and I would bet the shirt on my back that they were planning on using them too.  My assumptions were proven correct when a volley of fireballs flew toward us. I screamed and dropped as giant balls of flaming death shot toward us.

The next few minutes passed in a blur and I could do nothing but sit and pray that we wouldn't be killed. The only time I found myself to be of any use was when Sokka nearly flew out of the saddle and Katara, and I dragged him back in.

I lay on the saddle, gasping for breath. Katara and Sokka beside me were shaking from fear and adrenaline.

"We're past the blockade," Aang called as he came back to look at us worriedly.

"The crescent island isn't too far now." He reassured us as we slowly sat back up. I took one look at Aang's pale face and pulled him into a hug. After a moment we pulled away. Aang went back to the front, this time with Katara at his side. Sokka and I stayed in the saddle.

"That was more fun than I ever want again," I stated, shivering. Sokka nodded mutely, his grip on his boomerang tightening.

"There it is!" I looked up. An island loomed in the distance, black as pitch against the blue of the sky. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, praying for the safety of my friends.

* * *

Grim silence greeted us on the volcanic island. Appa rumbled as he set down, legs nearly giving out from under him. We slid off quickly, the stress and fear from before the blockade coming between us again.

"Poor boy, you must be so tired," Katara stated softly, petting Appa.

"Nope! All ready to fight some firebenders!" Sokka called, warming up with some ridiculous stretches.

"I was talking to Appa." Katara pointed out.

"Well... I was talking to Momo." Sokka said. I chuckled, and the tension eased. I wondered if Sokka had tried to ease the atmosphere or if it was accidental.

"Come on we need to get moving." Aang reminded us. We nodded and began our trek up to the temple. As we walked, I wondered about the wisdom of building a temple on an active volcano.

My legs began to ache as we walked up the steep hillside. After riding Appa for the majority of our trip, I had lost some of my muscle. I made a mental note to myself that I needed to start working out every morning and evening so I could keep in shape.

The sheer heat the island was giving off was incredible. Curiously I found myself wondering if all the islands of the fire nation were of volcanic origin.

We entered the temple silently, looking around at the red and gold decorations in awe. The amount of wealth in this temple alone had to double that of King Bumi. We weren't able to take in the sights for long as we quickly realized that we weren't the only ones here. In front of us stood five men, all dressed in red and burgundy with tall headpieces. The eldest, a wrinkled man with jowls like a bulldog and a white beard that clung to his chin like a flea-bitten animal stepped forward.

"We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the temple of the Avatar." His voice rasped, causing me to wince. This guy needed a good retirement and soon.

"Great! I'm the avatar!" Aang chirped. He stepped forward, beaming from ear to ear.

"We know." Five jets of fire shot at us. I yelped and stepped back, raising my arms to shield myself. I didn't need to worry Aang blew the fire away with a strong gust of wind.

"This way!" I charged after Aang and the water tribe siblings into a side corridor. I heard shouts behind us, but my adrenaline was back, and the sudden rush of energy made me forget everything else.

"Aang! Do you know where you're going?" Katara shouted beside me.

"Nope!" Aang shouted back turning a corner before spinning around

"Not this way!" He cried. I turned around, following my friends as we ran in another direction. A few seconds later we came to a dead end. Sokka and I stopped side by side, each of us pulling out our respective weapons. One of the fire sages, the youngest by far based on his appearance, stopped in front of us, hands raised in submission. It took a moment to place him, but I recognized him quickly enough as the fire sage who had helped the Gaang. I grimaced as I realized I couldn't remember his name.

"I don't mean you any harm." He insisted.

"Tell that to someone who believes it." Sokka snarled his club raised. There were a couple of shouts behind us and the fire sage moved forward. I stepped backward subconsciously then silently berated myself. I knew this man meant no harm, but my instincts weren't as aware.

The man ignored us and pressed his hand again the wall before sending a shot of fire into it. Fire blazed, and a door opened.

"Hurry, this way." We didn't question him this time, instead charging in as quickly as we could manage. The man slipped in, seconds before the door shut. We were silent for a while before the man spoke.

"My name is Shyu." He adjusted his headpiece which was knocked at an angle.

"Why did you help us?" Sokka asked, blunt and straight to the point.

"Walk with me. You wish to meet with Avatar Roku?" Aang nodded and fell into step beside Shyu. Sokka, Katara and I followed behind, listening as Shyu explained not only why the fire sages had attacked but how the sages were under the fire lord's payment. I tuned out the conversation not because I had memorized the words but because I was distracted by the lava flowing freely a few feet away from me and the oppressing amount of heat. Sokka and Katara were doing even worse than I, heavy parkas aren't very comfortable in stifling heat.

We finally walked up a set of obsidian stairs to the exit of the passage. Slipping through we found ourselves on the top story of the temple. In front of us, between two beautiful columns was a door, guarded by five mechanical snakeheads, each with large glinting ruby eyes the size of dinner plates.

"Oh no." Shyu groaned, walking up to the door and pressing his hand against the metal.

"What's wrong Shyu?" Aang said curiously as he approached the middle-aged fire sage.

"The doors are closed," Shyu explained, gesturing at the creepy snakeheads, "the other sages must have closed them when they heard you were coming."

"Can't you open it?" Katara asked. Shyu shook his head.

"No, this door will only open with five simultaneous blasts of fire from either five firebenders or a fully realized Avatar." We fell silent. Part of me wanted to fix the problem right away, but I remembered that Sokka deserved his time to shine, he wasn't going to get enough as it was.

"Five simultaneous fire blasts…" Sokka murmured thoughtfully. I grinned, I hadn't needed to wait long at all.

"I have an idea!" Sokka cried, face alight.

"Shyu, do you have any blasting powder or jelly here in the temple?" Shyu frowned in thought before nodding and showing us to a side room not too far away. Sokka grinned when seeing the supplies there and quickly gave us each a job.

"Aang I need you to find some cloth, Katara find some pieces of rope or thick twine, Shyu I need that blasting powder, Pala come with me." I followed Sokka to one of the corners of the room. The excitement in his face all but lighting our way.

"Pala, I need you to find the lamp oil, can you do that?" I nodded, and Sokka hurried off. I smiled, the happiness was contagious. I was flattered that Sokka had given me one of the more dangerous jobs, the other being given to Shyu. Maybe the direct dealings with those elements weren't dangerous in and out of themselves, but we would undoubtedly end up fighting firebenders sometime soon. None of us wanted any explosive or flammable substance on our bodies when we would be facing off against a group of people who could manipulate fire.

I lifted a lid of one of the containers and carefully wafted the fumes to see if it was the oil I was looking. I blinked in surprise when I realized that it was oil, but it was scented. It was probably for rituals or prayers. Deciding that if the ash in the mouths of the snakes smelt like perfume might hint at our lie, I closed the lid and tried another.

It took me three barrels before I found the regular lamp oil. Once I had, I dragged the barrel over to Sokka where he had created the bombs. Five dark clothes were wrapped around a large portion of blast powder. Into and around the mouth of each bag was a thin cord. Sokka nodded to me lifted the lid. Nodding appreciatively, he dipped the wicks of each bomb into the oil. Once that was done, he handed two to Shyu and one to me. We exited the room quickly and went back to the door where we inserted the bombs into the mouths of the snakes. While I checked to make sure all the bombs were secure Sokka explained his reasoning.

"Pala, come on," Katara called to me standing slightly behind one of the pillars. I nodded and joined her and Aang. Sokka turned to look at us, walking over so that he was within a safe distance.

"When they go off it's going to create a pretty big explosion," he warned Aang, "so the second the door are open you have to rush through." Aang nodded. Sokka turned and nodded at Shyu, who's fist caught fire. I closed my eyes and turned my head away as I heard them explode.

My ears were ringing. I grimaced as I was shoved away by a gust of air as Aang dashed out and promptly came across the door, which hadn't moved at all.

"No," Aang whispered.

"It didn't work." Shyu groaned. It appeared that this apparent failure was too much for Aang. Furious he began to assault the thick metal with huge gusts of wind.

"Why won't it open!" Aang shouted, frustration clear on his face.

"I don't understand that looked just as strong as any fire blasts I've seen," Sokka muttered, scratching his cheek and looking thoroughly confused. Katara, hearing what Sokka said spun and, taking a close look at the door grinned.

"Sokka! You're a genius!"

"How's Sokka a genius? His plan didn't even work." Aang asked, turning around from where he had been trying to knock down the doors with air. Sokka smirked.

"Let her dream Aang." I swatted Sokka on the back of the head for that comment. Sokka winced and rubbed the spot I had hit, sending me a wounded look.

"That's not what she meant," I snapped, before turning to the fourteen-year-old water bender, "you were saying Katara?"

* * *

I felt like I was trying to even hide the sound of my breath as I pressed myself to the back of the pillar beside Aang. All it would take for our hide away to be given away was for one of the sages to come up the stairs that were slightly behind us, or for one of them to look back at the pillars from an angel. We were way to exposed to be comfortable.

Luckily the plan went smoothly for a while. Just before the fire sages opened the door, I found myself looking toward those stairs. To my shock a particular familiar ponytailed, golden eyed prince staring at Aang. If Aang even thought about his peripheral vision he would see the teenaged prince. I felt a sudden surge of heat. I was completely aware that meant that the door was opening, and I would have to charge out in a second to take down a fire sage. The sudden blast of fire had also caught the attention of another. I froze when the fire prince's eyes locked onto mine. Had he been so focused on Aang he honestly hadn't seen me? It appeared so, otherwise why else would he look so surprised?

"It's the avatar's lemur! It must have crawled through the pipes!" That was my cue. I pushed Zuko out of my mind and charged out, tackling the first sage in my view. The man yelped as he was shoved to the floor. I pinned his arms behind his back. Looking up I noticed that the other sages were taken down as well. Katara's sage was suspiciously soaking wet, and she looked as pleased as punch. Sokka's was looking nervously at the sharp boomerang cradling his neck. Shyu hadn't quite been as enthusiastic as we had, the sage he had taken simply bent slightly with his arms behind his back. On the other hand, though, Shyu's captive was the eldest of the sages.

"Aang! Now's your chance!" To my absolute shock, Aang tore out from behind the pillars, Zuko not even a second behind. I cried out as I bucked off the back of the fire sage and thrown to the floor. Despite what the fire sages were trying to do it was too late. Aang was through the metal doors then they glowed blue and snapped shut. I didn't have a moment to question why that had happened so quickly as I suddenly felt my hand grabbed by someone. I jumped and pulled away. To my shock, they let go without a fight. Turning to get a better look I froze. I was standing over my prone body, the fire sage who had been about to grab me staring shocked at it. I looked to my right slightly to see a strange woman standing there, a warm smile on her face.

"Hello, Maddi."

* * *

Zuko: An hour previous

Zuko stared at the giant bison as he stood on the deck of his ship. The avatar was on that giant beast, just a few yards ahead and a few miles up. But so was that girl.

"Long live Fire Lord Zuko." He couldn't get her out of his mind. She was a mystery. The only things he knew about her was her name that she thought that he would be a better fire lord than his father and that she was fire nation. That wasn't a lot to go by. Zuko sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. The way she held herself, the way she spoke told of someone who was educated and of high birth. Her features did not belong to any high-class fire nation woman her features belonged to those of the lower class, the farmers, and servants. One of the explanations was that she was some lords bastard daughter who had either been blackmailed to pay for the girl's schooling. The other that she had been a servant girl at the palace, which is how she knew the personal details of his life. The second choice seemed to be the more accurate. If she were a servant girl, her sharp tongue would have quickly gotten her into trouble, though. Unless she could act just like anyone else... maybe she was putting on an act for the avatar and his friends? Zuko didn't know, and that very lack of knowledge was bothering him.

"Is something bothering you Prince Zuko?" His uncle asked, amber eyes warm and knowing. Iroh knew what Zuko was thinking of, but Iroh asked every single time.

"It's the girl again," Zuko admitted roughly.

"Ah, Madison was her name right?" Zuko glared at his uncle harshly. He didn't want to think of her name right now. He wanted answers.

"Yes." He bit back.

"A very unusual name... I have never heard one like it before in all my travels. Particularly for a girl." Iroh chuckled in a good-natured manner. Zuko opened his mouth to snap back an answer when one of the sailors came charging into the room.

"Sir! The avatar's bison has been spotted five miles to the west." Zuko stood up, mentally calculating where that would place the bison. He froze when he realized just where that was.

"They're heading toward fire nation waters."

* * *

 

Current time

Zuko glared down at the traitor. The middle-aged fire sage stared black, amber eyes calm, only once in a while flicking to look over at those he had betrayed his country for. The water tribe siblings, and Madison, who had passed out after the doors had shut and sealed themselves.

"Tell me, why did you betray your country." Zuko snapped, catching the sage's attention. Seriously the sage replied in a clear voice.

"Because it is our duty. It has always been out duty." Zuko glared and raised a hand before dropping it in disgust. Maddi sagged against the chains binding her to the opposite pillar as her friends, breath shallow. If Zuko hadn't seen that she had been in perfect health not ten minutes ago, he would have thought that she had been sick or was even on her deathbed. Healthy people did not breath like that.

"Well, you look at that, two birds, one stone. The Firelord will be pleased." The familiar voice rang out. Zuko gritted his teeth and turned to glare at a man he now considered his sworn enemy. Lieutenant Zhao.

"What are you doing here Zhao?" Zuko snarled, he could feel his internal fire rise just at the sight of the man.

"I came to pay a visit." Zhao replied, "Your little trick with the smoke failed. Tie him up with the other traitors." Zhao's soldiers moved forward to do as requested. To his shock and anger, one of the sages grabbed his hands and helped two other soldiers restrain him. Zuko struggled, eyes bright with self-righteous fury. Zhao was going to pay for this dearly.

* * *

Madison

"Hello Maddi."

I stared at the woman blankly. Once again it had appeared time had frozen upon contact with the spirit world. No one around me was moving. No one, except the strange woman. I eyed her up and down cautiously, feeling a pang of jealousy at the same time. This stranger was breathtakingly beautiful. Long red hair, gold eyes, a tall figure, pale, flawless skin. She was everything I could ever dream of being in the looks department. The only thing that she didn't have was large breasts, which seemed a fairly common trait from what I had seen in this world... I shook my head. Comparing our chest sizes wasn't what mattered right now. Why this woman had dragged me into the spirit world against my will and how she knew my name was what mattered.

"Who are you?" I demanded, glaring at her with the most intimidating stare I could form. She just raised a dark, thin eyebrow.

"You don't need to be rude. I could have whisked you off where I was supposed to without any warning. This was simply a courtesy." I looked at her blankly. If this was a courtesy, then I wasn't sure I wanted to see rude. To my shock, she chuckled.

"You humans are such strange creatures, sometimes I wonder if you want us to read your thoughts the way you project them." She laughed again before grabbing my arm. I shouted in panic as I suddenly was standing on a white plain. Above me, towering miles above me stood five giant figures, one of which I recognized as the woman who greeted me.

On my far left was the woman from before but her appearance had changed somewhat. Her red hair was pulled into a typical firenation topknot, with two long strands left to hang in front of her ears. The style reminded me of Azula's hairstyle, except this woman's hair was full of oranges, yellows, and reds. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that her hair was on fire. Her dress fell off one shoulder and fluttered to her knees. At the top it was a brilliant white, then it changed to blue, then yellow and lastly red. Every time she moved her dress made a snap like a piece of damp wood in a campfire.

"I am Agni," she said with a welcoming smile and a twinkle in her gold eyes, "the goddess of fire. I am the lord protector of the fire nation." I stared at her in shock. If this was Agni herself... I moved my eyes to the next person. She had hair as white as freshly fallen snow with a light silvery gleam. Her skin was pale and flawless and glowed in the same silvery light as her hair. Now that I noticed I saw that her entire form was shining, all except her eyes which were the darkest blue I had ever seen. Her dress was colored nearly the same colour as her eyes, except small silver specks. My eyes naturally drew lines between the specks and in shock, I realized that her dress was the night sky, and the specks were the stars. Her sash was almost entirely made of stars, with a rich blue and purple background. There was no doubt in my mind that her sash was the milky way. It was clear to me that I was looking at the goddess of the moon, La. Which meant that the man who was running his fingers through her long hair must be Tui.

Tui was just as majestic as La, except he seemed to be her very opposite. His hair was so black it seemed to absorb all the light that came from La, and yet his silver eyes matched her so perfectly. Tui wore a parka with the hood down that upon close inspection changed colour from nearly perfect black to the palest of blues at his shoulders. I noticed that it looked like the images on his outfit moved slightly. It wasn't until I saw that a small gold and orange fish about the size of my pinky near his shoulder that I realized that his parka represented the very ocean itself. Why else would he have actual swimming elephant koi? No one introduced them, so I assumed that everyone knew I had recognized them.

The next person in the semi-circle was hard to describe. He was pale like he had no colour at all. Occasionally the faintest of oranges would appear on his outfit, which was a long-sleeved robe. The only other colour on his person was a blue arrow on his bald head. As I watched he smiled at me, pale eyes seeming to shift in front of me. In shock, I realized that his form was constantly changing. One moment he looked as young as Aang, the next he was an old man. His features didn't even stay the same. I followed his robe down to where it should have met the ground. Instead, it slowly vanished until all that remained was a thin mist.

"Hello Madison," he spoke in a strange hollow, echoing voice, "I am Lung, god of air." I nodded and turned to the last person.

In comparison to all the other deities, this man looked strangely human. He had a short cropped beard, tanned skin, and brown hair and eyes. His features were hard and blunt, with a square shaped jaw and eyes like hawks. He wore a green tunic and beige pants, and he was barefoot. The only thing that seemed strange was his oddly shaped cloak which fell only past his shoulder blades and looked more like a cut rag then a cloak. Looking carefully, I noticed that he stood slightly farther away from the others, with his back turned slightly, like he was angry at them. The sulky expression on his face didn't help matters much. He shot me a venomous glare that caused me to take a step back.

"And that is Prithvi, god of the earth." Prithvi snorted but didn't say anything. Swallowing I decided to take matters into my hands.

"Listen... thanks for the introduction and all but... why am I here?" Agni chuckled and bent down to get a closer look at me.

"We have been watching you for some time, Madison, ever since you fell through the spirit world into our lands you've been a mystery. But you've been making a difference you've been changing the very world just by being around, and none of us knows what is going to happen because of it." Agni explained. I took a step back, partially intimidated by her sheer size and partially because of how much heat her body radiated. I had the uncomfortable feeling that I'd burn up and turn into ash if I touched her.

"Are you going to smite me or something?" I asked nervously, were they mad with how I was messing with how things were supposed to be? Agni laughed brightly. This time, it was Lung who moved towards me.

"Nothing like that, we want to help you, we didn't know the future anymore than anyone else until you came along. We now know what to expect from Ozai and we wish to thank you for that. You may choose a gift from one of us, whatever you want you can have it." He leaned back with a smirk. I furrowed my brow and bit my lip, unsure.

"You're telling me I can ask for anything from one of you, and you'll give it to me, just like that? So what if I asked to become a ruler of my new nation you'd do that?" I challenged.

"Your request has to be within reason and our power," La said, speaking for the first time. I noticed her voice was as silvery and light as her appearance.

"And that means..." Lung laughed, the sound reminded me of a powerful wind blowing through trees.

  
"Just chose one of us, and you can bend whatever element you want." 


	13. Spirits part 3: Warning

"Your request has to be within reason and within our power," La said, speaking for the first time. I noticed her voice was as silvery and light as her appearance.

"And that means..." Lung laughed, the sound reminded me of a powerful wind blowing through trees.

  
"Just chose one of us, and you can bend whatever element you want."

I looked at the spirits thoughtfully. All I had to do was choose one of them, and I could bend whatever element I wanted. My eyes flicked between Angi and Lung. No offense to Tui and La but water wasn't one of the elements I was interested in, besides we already had a waterbender on the team, we didn't need another. I paused when I looked at Lung. I had felt a connection to airbending since the first time I saw it. On the other hand, firebending would be an amazingly powerful element. Still, I would have no one to teach me until season three, late season three at that. I didn't want to be wandering around with little to no control over my bending. That was when another thought came to my mind. I knew that no matter what I chose, Prithvi wouldn't be happy, but what about the others, would they attack too?

"You said my request just has to be within reason and your power, so... you can give me something else besides a bending ability?" I asked curiously.

"Could you send me home?" There was silence. Then, slowly Agni replied.

"I'm sorry Maddi. Even with all of our powers together… the chances are small and even then… you might die." I forced a smile, shrugging it off with a painful laugh.

"It's okay," my voice cracked, I coughed and continued, "I didn't think anyone would be able to."

"We don't have to give you a bending ability," Agni stated softly, "we could-"

"Why would you choose something else when you could have an entire element at your fingertips?" Lung asked. I frowned. Something was off with Lung, but I couldn't quite make it out. For a moment there, I thought I had seen desperation in his eyes.

"So hypothetically if I chose... water." I kept a close eye on the other spirits. Agni looked disappointed Prithivi didn't seem to care and Lung... I shivered and looked away. The look in his eyes worried me. I took a step back and began to think. I had read several books about mythology, Norse, Greek, Egyptian. All of them had one thing in common when two gods or goddesses asked for you to choose between them it always ended with those not chosen outright attacking you. Could I afford to make enemies of such powerful beings?

I took a deep breath I needed to decide, but I also didn't want to make enemies because it wasn't just me anymore. Deities in legends and lore wouldn't stop themselves from hurting a friend or relative, to get even with the one who scorned them. I couldn't do that to my companions. No matter how badly I wanted to bend. I felt like my heart was ripping in two. The choice, the only choice that was safe was clear to me now. That wasn't the problem. I wanted to be a bender so badly that it hurt.

Think of Aang. I thought desperately, think of Sokka and Katara, would you ever forgive yourself if they were hurt? I looked up, even though it hurt I spoke.

"I've decided."

* * *

Aang

"It's good to see you Aang. What took you so long?" I sighed at Roku's appearance.

"Roku," I replied. Roku didn't waste any time he quickly began speaking.

"I have something important to tell you Aang," Roku stated, face serene and calm.

"Is it about that vision? That comet? The one Fang showed me?" I asked. That question had been burning to get out since I had seen the image of the comet in my mind.

"Yes and no. That is only part of why you are here. But I will address that first." Roku looked me straight in the eyes.

"A hundred years ago a comet was used by Fire Lord Sozin to begin the war. This particular comet passes by the world every hundred years. Sozin used the comet's energy to make himself and his army strong enough to destroy the Airbenders. Now Fire Lord Ozai plans to harness the comet's power for his own ends." A sudden realization struck me. If Fire Lord Ozai intended to use the comet, that meant the comet was arriving soon.

"How long?"

"The comet will arrive near summer's end." I froze in shock. I had to master three elements in a little less than a year.

"But I haven't even started to learn waterbending! Let alone earth and fire! And who knows where I'll find a firebending teacher." I exclaimed. Roku smiled and stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"You can do it Aang. After all, you have done it before, and you aren't alone. You have friends, and you have an advantage that no other avatar has had before." I frowned. I had an advantage that no other avatar had? What was that?

"I am not at liberty to tell you everything Aang. All I can say is trust your friends, even if they cannot say why they are asking you to do something. Be patient and wait for them to explain themselves and their reasoning." I opened my mouth to ask who he was talking about when he stepped away.

"Our time together is coming to an end." Roku closed his eyes. I paused then did the same.

"A great danger awaits you at the temple. I can help you face the threat. But only if you are ready."

"I'm ready."

* * *

Madison

I took a deep breath and then spoke my fingers wrapped tightly in my dress.

"I'm not going to say who I'm choosing or what my gift is right away so just wait a moment." I turned to Prithvi, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I'm just assuming by the way you've been acting around me since the beginning that you're not going to give me a gift if I begged. Right?" Prithvi gazed at me before nodding once. I returned the gesture and then moved on to Tui and La.

"I appreciate what you do and what you represent," I admitted solemnly, "but I don't feel a connection to your element. Besides," I added with a smile, "I don't want to steal Katara's thunder."

I turned to Agni next. I tightened my grip on my dress and locked my knees, trying to hide my trembling.

"I love firebending it's both power and life. It is beautiful and has so much potential. However," I stopped for a moment to let my words fully sink in, "if I were to choose your element there would be a lot of issues. You're just giving me the ability to bend, not the training of how to use it. I would be an untrained firebender with no hope of a teacher until three maybe four months before the end of summer. I don't know whether I can teach myself or what might happen if I try to. Above all, I can't endanger my friends." I turned to Lung my entire body was trembling. If my assumptions about this spirit were right, he was not going to like my next words.

"Don't say a word," Lung said with a grin, "your wish-"

"I'm not choosing airbending." Lung froze, literally, even most of his swirling vapors stopped moving. He had the biggest look of shock on his face that I had ever seen.

"I pride myself on being educated, intelligent and logical" I explained. Any thought of hiding my trembling was gone, and now tears pricked my eyes. I wanted airbending so badly it hurt. "And choosing airbending isn't logical." Looking around, I noticed all the spirits looked shocked by my declaration, even Prithvi, although there was a proud gleam in his eye, like a father who's child had ridden a bike for the first time.

"If I am to live in this world for the rest of my life I need to think about my future. Even after the adventure is over." I explained, trying to reason with them.

"Whatever strange phenomena I went through to get here, gave me the ability to understand the common language when spoken. It failed to give me the capacity to understand the written language. I don't know why I don't know how. I don't know if someone transferred me here why they would think reading wasn't important." I felt tears prickle at my eyes and something wet run down my cheek. Part of me wanted to scream and say that I still wanted airbending, but I couldn't do that. Lung was moving again, and there was a dangerous look in his eyes.

"For a girl who is so proud of her education not being able to read is hard it is essential to not only my education but also what I can do in this world. If I can read, I can get better jobs and better opportunities to move up in society. I want to do something to help this world, even after this part of my life is over, maybe I'll become a teacher or doctor. Either way, I'll need to read and right now... I don't have time to learn an entirely new written language. Besides, my friends have been assuming that I'm educated because of the way I think and talk. It will be suspicious if I can't. I won't be able to explain why either," My body had stopped shaking, and I stared boldly at Lung's darkening face.

"So I ask from all of you, or any who are willing to help, to give me the ability to understand the written word of this world. I want to learn the language." There was silence all around me before Agni smiled and stepped forward.

"So be it." Tui and La looked at each other at the same time, nodded and stepped forward in sync. To my surprise, Prithvi came up as well. Lung's face was completely contorted. With a snarl, he vanished in a whirlwind. There was a bright flash, and everything went back for a split second before returning to the same white place.

I blinked and looked up. Prithvi stood in front of me. He had lost a lot of his former height, now standing only six foot four. It was still taller than me but more comfortable than his previous towering height. I half expected to have to scramble to my feet, but I was looking at Prithvi from the same view I had blacked out in. I was still standing on my feet. Deciding to leave logic behind on that confusing point for fear of my head exploding I instead turned to Prithvi.

"Why did you join? I thought you hated me?" The god of the earth just snorted.

"Hardly, I don't care for you, but I don't hate you. Consider ourselves neutral." I narrowed my eyes but nodded.

"Then why am I here?"

"The others believe that you are asleep still and will awaken later, in reality, I have held you behind so we could talk privately." I leaned back slightly, crossing my arms.

"Talk about what?" I challenged. I wasn't angry with Prithvi, just suspicious. I didn't understand the motives of these spirits and that was making me wary.

"Your choice. I commend you, very few humans can boast of besting a spirit, let alone four." He replied, chesty voice humming like a drum.

"I wasn't beating them," I replied frankly, "I was logical."

"You denied yourself something you wanted greatly all for the sake of your friends and a suspicion you had. That requires an enormous amount of self-control. You are a surprisingly human, Madison. You found the only option that would keep you and your friends in no more danger than before." I blinked and looked up at Prithvi in shock. That had been my goal, but I hadn't realized that I had succeeded so well.

"How?" I asked.

"I was out of the question I wasn't willing to give you a gift, and you weren't going to choose earthbending. Water was your best bet Agni would have gotten over the disappointment since you are officially one of the water tribe's people. I would have remained neutral and Lung... his reaction wasn't going to change no matter what you chose. Choosing Agni would have had Tui and La attack you along with Lung and if you had chosen Lung..." Prithvi raised himself to his full height and looked down on me.

"If you had chosen Lung you would have regretted it quickly. I would have gone after you with all my power. My brother and I do not get along well." I gaped at Prithvi in shock. Lung was his brother I knew deity family trees could get confusing, but the two seemed too dissimilar to be related. I would have never guessed.

"Agni is quick to forgive. She is the youngest of all of us and goes were her passions take her. Tui and La are often to concerned with the other to be of much use." Prithvi continued lightly.

"So what? You still haven't answered why you're here." I pointed out. Mentally I set aside all this knowledge for examination later it was intriguing.

"I am here to give you a warning." I looked back at Prithvi's face. His dark eyes seemed to hold great depths to them, as thought I was looking into the center of the world.

"Lung is not to be trusted. He may appear kind and friendly but as the wind, his motives and intentions are ever shifting. He has his own agenda, and he keeps his purse well hidden." I grimaced at the strange metaphor until I realized it was this worlds way of saying that he keeps his cards close to his chest.

"As I told you before, fire follows where her passions lead and water and the moon are too involved with each other to pay attention. I, on the other hand, am the Earth. All creatures living on my surface are mine, no matter what nation. I am ever watching, ever waiting. I am aware of much more than you know." He gazed at me with a stern expression before saying.

"You cannot trust every spirit blindly anymore then you can trust every person. Think before making you choices and remember, sometimes enemies come from the most innocent in appearance."

* * *

Sokka

There were a lot of things I was expecting when Aang ran through the temple doors. A blue light to shine and lock the doors, sure why not? For the scar-faced Prince Zuko to tie us all up? Yep, totally saw that coming. For Pala to collapse into a dead faint at the same time the doors shut? That was the single event that had me surprised. We could get away from Zuko we had done it before after all, but I wasn't sure what I could do to help Pala. Chained next to my sister on one of the carved poles in front of the doors I couldn't help but keep glancing over at Pala. She was unusually pale, and her breathing was shallow. She didn't look healthy. She looked like she had when she had first appeared on the shoreline of our village, on the verge of death. Seeing her that way brought back memories of the day I had found her.

_I clambered up the wall of snow to look out over the village and the surrounding area. I placed my gloved hand on my forehead and peered out, feeling like a warrior, guarding the village. It was my duty-_

_My daydream was cut off when something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. Turning, I saw the unmistakable body of a human half washed up on the shore. I shouted in alarm, calling for help from the village and jumped off the wall._

_Tearing across the snow-covered plain, I ran to him. The person didn't move. Slowing my approach, I noticed several things at once. One, the person had long hair covering his face. Two, his left arm was bent at an angle, leaving no doubt in my mind that it was broken. Three this person was wearing practically nothing, some sort of purple rag over one shoulder, a pair of pants made out of a strange material, and one sock. I didn't have much more time to examine him because at least four women from the village including gran-gran ran over and pushed me aside. As they passed me, I noticed something which caused my face to become hot. I quickly averted my gaze as I realized my 'him' hadn't been male._

_Over the next few days, I had managed to convince myself that if she found out, that I had been the one to find her she would be grateful. I found myself fantasizing about the sort of person she was. I wondered if Pala knew what I had been thinking back then, what she would have thought about it._

Remembering how I had acted caused my face to heat up.

"Well, you look at that, two birds, one stone. The Firelord will be pleased." Katara and I looked up at the new voice. Another fire nation man, this one with brown hair and sideburns sauntered up to where Zuko had been interrogating Shyu with a smug smile on his face.

"What are you doing here Zhao?" Zuko snarled. I could feel the hostility radiating from the two fire nation warriors. I couldn't care about their personal opinions for each other, but I was worried for what this meant for us.

"I came to pay a visit." The stranger, Zhao replied, "Your little trick with the smoke failed." He smirked then spoke to his soldiers. "Tie him up with the other traitors." Zhao's soldiers moved forward to do as requested and Zuko was forced against the pillar opposite us. The pillar with Pala.

I felt like hours had passed before anything happened. Finally, near sunset the door opened.

"Aang!" Katara screamed, pulling against the chains binding her to me and the stone. My heart sank. There was no way that Aang would make it. Several streams of scorching fire were shot between the doors.

To everyone's shock, the fire formed an orb, bending around Aang. That didn't seem quite right to me. If Aang had been airbending shouldn't the fire have evaporated? It was then I noticed the man standing at the door's entrance wasn't Aang. He was tall and old, with a long white beard falling to his chest and he was dressed in red robes.

"It's Avatar Roku!" One of the sages screamed in panic. My heart stopped for a split second before jumping into erratic pounding. Wasn't Avatar Roku dead? And where was Aang? A wave of pure heat pressed past us, uncomfortably warm but not hot. When I opened my eyes and looked down, though, all the chains had melted away. There was no way that was possible, the heat it would take to melt steel should have left us like burnt walrus-seal, little more than charred flesh. I was distracted from my thoughts when I noticed Pala's unconscious form lying on the ground. I abandoned Katara and Shyu, running to where she lay. Zuko was gone, but I didn't care. I picked Pala up, groaning. She was heavier than I expected, and I nearly dropped her. Wincing I shifted her, so she wasn't going to fall. Then I turned to Katara.

The sages had vanished as had Zhao. When my gaze shifted to the door, I expected to see Roku again. Instead, Aang was there with Katara. The next thing I noticed was that a huge seam of lava separating Pala and me from my sister and Aang. Katara and I locked eyes and nodded then we took off to the large window behind the pillars, each with our charge.

"Appa!" I heard Aang call. Peering past the edge of the window I recognized the familiar fuzzy monster flying toward us. Appa passed by Aang and Katara's part of the window first. Both jumped, quickly making it onto the giant. Grimacing I tightened my hold on Pala and jumped.

I landed roughly instinctively I curled around Pala to protect her from the fall. I lay there on Appa's saddle for a while just breathing. Katara and Aang both were too busy trying to find out what was wrong with Pala to notice me. I could deal with that I was worried about Pala too. Finally, I sat up, wincing as I moved my shoulder. It felt like I had pulled a muscle. I gently rubbed it while watching. Pala shifted slightly and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked, completely oblivious to how worried we all were. Katara started filling her in on what had happened while I tried to make them laugh by over dramatizing everything Katara said.

"Then Sokka picked you up-" Katara started before I cut her off with a grin.

"Yeah, do you know how heavy you are?" Silence. It didn't take me long to figure out that I had defiantly said the wrong thing.

"I mean you need to gain some weight is it healthy to be that light?" I back peddled in alarm. Apparently my attempt to fix the situation only made it worse.

"I mean that... compared to Katara-"

"SOKKA!'

"Sokka," Pala stated very softly, "I recommend you shut up before you dig your own grave." I wisely followed her instructions and closed my mouth. Aang turned to look at me.

"Why are they upset?" He asked in confusion.

"I don't know? Who knows why girl's act the way they do?"

"SOKKA!"

 


	14. Beyond Reason

I lay in my sleeping bag, looking up at the stars. We were once again on earth kingdom soil, not that I cared much. My mind was spinning over the events of earlier today, or was it yesterday now? Either way, I was exhausted, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep. Something I had read once was haunting me. I couldn't remember where I had heard it before, maybe one of my friends who also knew Avatar had mentioned it. In the end, it didn't matter where it came from the fact remained that I remembered.

"Unless you're a bender you're not important in the avatar world. Everyone knows Aang, Katara, and Toph but Sokka, Suki, and even Ty Lee would be forgotten in time. Their names blurred until they are just companions, vague forms to be mentioned occasionally," was that my fate now in this world? Was I doomed to be nothing because I had chosen not to take a gift that could potentially hurt my friends? I couldn't have made any other choice if I had taken an ability I would have endangered my friends and have been scorned for as long as my name was remembered. Now though was I just going to be forgotten. I had always assumed that becoming a character in a story would guarantee that I would be remembered as a hero. People would speak of my deeds for years to come… that I would be someone. I shivered. Back at home, I had always aspired to have a large group of people know me. I wanted people to remember me, I wanted to be that girl who always made you smile, I wanted to be remembered. But now it seemed that I would be lost in the mists of time. No one was immortal and the few people who we as a people did remember often had aspects changed. Besides my knowledge of the future which I had done very little to act upon, what was the point of my being here?

I groaned and rolled over. Why was I getting so philosophical tonight, was it because I was over tired or was it something else? I flipped over again and closed my eyes. I needed to sleep I was going to be of no use to my friends if I was overtired.

I must have eventually drifted off because I was woken up by brilliant sunlight shining in my eyes. With a grunt I flipped over, burying my face in the pillow and trying to fall asleep again.

"I know you're awake." I heard Sokka call, probably from Appa's head.

"Sokka, leave Pala alone." Katara retorted from somewhere nearby. There was silence for a moment before Sokka spoke again.

"Aang, if you keep pacing like that you're going to trip over Pala and fly off."

"I'm sorry," Aang replied, "I just can't stop thinking about what Roku said. How am I supposed to master three elements before the end of summer!" I sighed and sat up. My hair was fuzzy and tangled and half pulling out of my usual braid. With a sigh, I undid the mess and began to braid it once again.

"Well…" Katara spoke slowly, "I could teach you what I know about waterbending… it isn't much but-"

"You'd do that?" Aang broke in, looking up at Katara. Katara nodded then looked up at Sokka.

"We're going to need somewhere we can waterbend." She told her bother. Sokka shrugged and turned slightly to address us.  
"Maybe we can find a puddle for you to splash around in." I shot a scathing look at the water tribe prince and shook my head. Sokka was going to regret that choice of words.

* * *

"Some puddle." I snickered at Sokka's annoyed look. Katara and Aang were beaming excitedly up at what seemed like a ten-foot-tall waterfall. Laughing, I grabbed Sokka by the arm.

"How about we get some practice in while Katara is teaching Aang how to 'splash,'" I suggested, my lips curling. Sokka looked at me for a moment before comprehending. With a grin, he pulled out his boomerang and club. As we squared off, I noticed Katara talking to Aang. I pulled myself away from any distractions and readied my fan. We were both still for what felt like a long time. Sokka took a step forward. I didn't waste a second more. I threw my fans up, ready for battle and swept forward. Sokka swung down his club I blocked by raising my fan. After that I was completely engulfed in the complicated dance going on between Sokka and I. Every once in a while, there was a clang as his boomerang met the coated metal of my fans. Occupied with the boomerang, I forgot about Sokka's other weapon. It was only because I saw the club coming at me from the corner of my eye that allowed me to dodge away.

As suddenly as it had begun our fight was finished. A dark shadow covered the sun. Freezing, both Sokka and I turned only to be drenched by a massive wave. I spluttered and swept my soaking braid off my shoulder, turning to sent a pointed look at a certain young airbender. Aang shifted and looked away, careful to keep his eyes averted from me.

"What was that?" Sokka demanded his voice harsh as he twisted water from his hair.

"Sorry Sokka, we were just waterbending." Sokka snorted at Aang's sincere reply. I couldn't blame him we were both soaked, and neither of us was particularly happy about it.

"Well, you just waterbended all over our supplies." Sokka snapped. I turned, curious. Sokka was right our supplies were drenched and while this wasn't as bad as them being washed downstream some of our items would undoubtedly need to be replaced. I groaned and joined Sokka, Aang, and Katara in trying to save our things.

Half an hour later we were wandering around the harbor port buying the items that had been to ruined to be salvaged. Mostly that consisted of dried fruits that had managed to absorb water, bread products, the occasional piece of meat that we hid from Aang and a few other odd items. I was pleased that we still had some coinage left from King Bumi that amounted to more than two copper pieces. In actuality, we had about twenty which was enough to buy a weeks rations and not much more.

"Well," I spoke aloud while leaning against a wooden wall, "Twenty is better than two." I was careful to keep an eye on all the unsavory characters at this port. This was the prime place for pirates and thieves. I had already had to warn away two men with glares and the threat of hidden weapons I didn't want to consider just how bad this situation might get.

"Make that nineteen." Of course, Aang couldn't resist buying the bison whistle. Then again, it was probably better that he did, the whistle would be useful in several tight situations. Katara raised an eye and held her hand out. I didn't blame her Aang, of course, couldn't handle money. Aang sheepishly handed over the small coin pouch, blushing lightly in embarrassment. I sighed.

"Come on I want to practice some more, and I can't do that here," I told my friends, trying to hide the fact that this place bothered me a lot more than I was willing to admit. I felt like I was in the wrong part of town, the one with police cars always patrolling and the middle and high classes either took transportation through, went around, or walked together quickly in large groups. I had been through some rough neighborhoods before but this was an entire town dedicated to that sort of environment. Then again while sometimes things would become tight at home I had never had to see what it was to go hungry, I never had to know what it was like fearing that my dad would never come home. Compared to my water tribe companions and even the occupants of this town I had lived a life of luxury. For the first time, I found myself grateful for what I had been given even though it had been taken away so rapidly.

"Earth nation! Fire nation! As long as bargains are your inclination, you're welcome here. Don't be shy, come on by." I grimaced and turned to look at the pirate ship and the pirate that in a few moments would be convincing us to enter. There we would find a stolen waterbending scroll that Katara would take from them... and the rest they say is history.

"You four, you look like world traveling types. Are you interested in some exotic curios?"

"No thank you," I stated pointedly at the same time Aang zipped up to the man.

"Sure!" He exclaimed before asking, "what are curios?"

"Nicknacks," I replied in a bored tone, "baubles, small things that take up space and have little to no use. Items which we don't have the money to spend on- Aang?" To my annoyance, Aang was already halfway up the plank to the ship, the pirate with him. Sokka and Katara didn't look anymore impressed than I was, but we hurried up the wooden board anyway.

Inside hundreds of useless items lay on shelves or hung from the ceiling. A few instruments caught my eye, one of which I recognized as a sugi horn. I noticed Katara examining the stone monkey with ruby eyes and necklace while Sokka was perusing their collection of weapons. Aang was talking to the captain of the ship, holding Momo close to him. I found myself wondering when the pirate captain had arrived.

"Look at this Aang," Katara called from beside a metal rack. Inside several scrolls were stored, the one Katara had pulled out was blue with the distinct symbol of the water tribe on one end. I ignored Aang and Katara cooing over the scroll and picked out one of my own. This one too had unusual decoration on the ends, red tassels. I gently rolled the scroll open. Curious I began to read.

_Day one hundred fifty_

_Training is brutal, especially the few of us who cannot_ firebend _. The generals are merciless, pushing us night and day to become stronger, faster, more resilient. At the same time, the other troops break our morale, repeating over and over in various ways that those who cannot bend are little more than fodder. It disturbs me to see this side of my country. What happened to the great and just nation that we were raised to believe was spreading the prosperity of our nation? My uncle told me that the suffering of a few villages was well worth our cause, but I am beginning to see that as a lie. Everyone is suffering from this war. Over fifty years it has been going in and here, among the soldiers, I can see the toll this war is inflicting. Generals are long weary from battle many families have lost both their sons and daughters, leaving children orphaned only for the child to die in the same pointless cause as their parents. I am coming to believe that the only reason this war continues is that the royal family wishes to continue in Fire Lord Sozin's footsteps. I am beginning to realize that I am going to die and that my death will have no purpose. I_ saddens _me that the Fire Lord doesn't care how much is own people are suffering from his stubbornness._

I stared at the scroll before picking it up. Aang was 'bartering' with the captain, but I could care less.

"How much for this scroll," I asked, dropping it to the counter. The pirate and Aang both looked at me in surprise. The pirate captain raised a single eyebrow at my choice.

"That?" He picked up the scroll and examined piece before setting it down on the counter.

"Fifty copper pieces." He stated. I raised an eyebrow.

"It's old and covered in dust. Obviously, no one has been interested in it for a long time. Ten copper pieces." The captain laughed.

"Are you joking? I have never seen such an excellent example of fire nation script work. Forty copper pieces." I looked at him incredulously.

"Fine example of script work yes, but what is the value in something you can't read? I say it's worth twelve pieces."

"If it has so little value why are you interested?" The captain challenged, "Thirty pieces."

"If it has so much value why are you dropping the money value so much each time. Fourteen."

"You insult me. Twenty."

"Fifteen. That's my last offer." I replied sharply. We were silent for a long time before the captain nodded.

"Deal," I grinned and turned to Katara. She looked surprised but handed the money over. I deposited the chosen amount on the counter and then pocketed the scroll.

"A pleasure doing business with you." With that, I followed a very nervous looking Katara off the ship, Sokka and Aang right behind me.

"Why'd you buy that scroll?" Sokka asked me softly as we began to walk away.

"I was interested in it. I think it is going to teach me a lot." I replied lightly, "I'm sorry if I spent some of our money. I'll help make it up later. Okay?" Sokka frowned but nodded.

"Hey you! Get back here!" I spun along with my companions to see at least a dozen pirates swing down from their ship.

"Look who changed their minds," Aang said with a grin. It quickly turned out that he had spoken before he should have.

* * *

We somehow managed to escape without actually flying away. Now we were back at the waterfall. Everything was peaceful again. Katara and Aang were looking over the waterbending scroll Sokka was sharpening his boomerang, and I was reading the scroll. I had begun reading from the beginning this time. Silently I thanked the deities for giving me the ability to read though I had a sneaking suspicion that Agni had done more than I had asked. After all, the pirate captain had said that this was an excellent example of fire nation script, yet I had been able to read it. Then again I also hadn't specified what language I wanted to be able to read.

_Day 1_

_Today is my sixteenth birthday-_

"I just want to try this one move first then it's all yours." I looked up Katara distracting me from my reading. She had placed the waterbending scroll on a dead stump and was now trying to learn the moves just by looking at them.

"The single water whip. Looks doable." I sighed and went back to reading.

_My mother gave me this scroll so that I could write down my thoughts and experiences. She told me since I'm an adult now I deserved something more. I honestly didn't expect this much. My mother scrimped and saved for months to buy a quality scroll like this of that I have no doubt. I'm just a simple farm boy-_

"OW!" I jumped and turned to notice Katara rubbing a red spot on her forehead. I chuckled under my breath while Sokka laughed out loud. Katara sent a sharp glare at her brother.

"What's so funny?"

"You deserved that." Sokka replied before turning to Aang, "She's only interested in teaching herself." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. Was it so hard to read in peace? I was enjoying the scroll, and now it seemed like I wouldn't be able to get a moment of peace.

 _I'm just a simple farm boy who doesn't have much to give. The fact I can read and write is impressive all on its own. I can't bend, but I know how to work the earth, so it gives the best produce. I'm proud of that ability, and I'm proud of our small patch of land. Most of all I love my country._ The fire nation _is a beautiful place, and while our village is poor, I'm okay with that. Maybe the reason my mother gave this to me was to help me gain the courage to approach a certain girl who I've been admiring for some time now-_

A loud screech distracted me again. I grimaced and rolled up the scroll. I'd have to read it later. Aang looked at Katara who looked like she was going to start tearing her hair out of her head.

"Why can't I get this stupid move!"

"You'll get it." Aang comforted, "you've got to shift your weight through the stances." I winced as Aang pulled off a perfect water whip on his first try. It proved too much for Katara. Spinning the fourteen-year-old tore a strip into the twelve-year-old airbender.

"Shut your air hole! Believe it or not, your infinite wisdom gets a little old sometimes! Why don't we just throw the scroll away since you're so naturally gifted!"

"Katara!" I barked. Distracting everyone. Katara looked at me angrily.

"What!" I pointed to Aang, my face stern. Katara turned and froze when she saw the sad look on Aang's face.

"Katara," I said softly approaching.

"I'm sorry Aang." Katara apologized sincerely. I wasn't done, though.

"Katara, I understand that this is frustrating, but you have to remember some things." I pointed out, "Aang has already mastered a bending form, plus he has been waterbending for centuries remember? Air is also the element closest to water so it will be the easiest for him to master. You don't have any of those advantages." Katara nodded solemnly which caused me to smile.

"Now go and apologize to Momo," I added softly. While Katara accepted Aang's apology and apologized to the poor lemur, I went back to my reading. I was going to finish the first entry today.

_\- A certain girl who I've been admiring for some time now. Hopefully, once I'm brave enough to talk to her, she'll accept. I don't know when that will be, but I do know that I'll have to speak up soon. Already several other boys my age have been pursuing her. So far though she's turned them all down._

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night, not knowing what had woken me up. It was strange normally once I was asleep it was impossible to wake me up other than naturally. But it was too dark for me to have slept as long as I needed and no one else was awake. Groaning I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Almost instantly I realized that someone was gone. Katara's bedroll was empty. I felt exhausted. Tiredly I sat up and stumbled out of bed. Tiredly I stumbled in the general direction that I knew Katara had gone in.

The river looked calm and tranquil from where I was standing.

"Katara?" I called, looking around confused. I was sure she would have been around here somewhere.

"Looking for someone?" I spun to find myself face to face with a familiar golden eyed prince.

"Zuko," I muttered. I was suddenly wide awake.

"Where's Katara," I demanded sharply, glaring at the scarred prince. Zuko's lip curled, and he grabbed one of my wrists tightly and dragged me away.

He stopped in front of the pirates and an elderly man who I recognized right away as General Iroh. Katara was bound to a thin sapling not far away. To my surprise, Zuko dragged me away from Katara and toward his uncle.

"Uncle, this is Maddi, the girl I told you about." I blinked in surprise. Zuko had told Iroh about me. To say I was flattered was an understatement. Iroh had been one of my favorite characters in the series so for him to know of me was awe inspiring.

"It is an honor General Iroh," I said quickly bowing deeply I tried to mimic the way Aang had bowed in the third season. I had done it often enough for fun or teasing my sister and cousins. I fumbled then blushed deeply.

"Sorry, I'm tired," I explained, reaching up to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Zuko frowned before barking at me.

"Where is the Avatar?" I shot a glare at Zuko.

"I've told you before, and I'll tell you again Zuko. I'm not against you, but I'm not going just to tell you where Aang is," Zuko snarled and grabbed my wrist again.

"It was an honor to met a fine young lady such as you." I turned despite Zuko trying to pull me away and smiled at Iroh.

"And it is an honor for me to have met the man I have admired for so much time," Iroh eyed me skeptically before speaking once again.

"I am hardly worthy of such praise though I am pleased to hear that you think so highly of me," I smiled giddily and nodded, allowing Zuko to drag me away. That short conversation had put me into an emotional high and I was unlikely to come down off cloud nine for a while now.

* * *

Several hours later Sokka and Aang joined Katara and me in 'captivity'. Katara was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry Aang, this is all my fault." Aang shook his head already the boy had a crush on Katara. Not that I could blame him, Katara was beautiful.

"No Katara it's not."

"Yeah it kind of is." I tried to hold back a snigger at Iroh's reply. As truthful as it was, all it would succeed to do was anger Katara. I remained silent and only watched as the events I knew would occur played out. Sokka tricked the pirates into betraying Zuko, which caused the two groups to fight. During the fight, Katara and I were freed from our awkward position on the sapling by Momo. We both bolted away from the tree and the fighting, heading towards the pirates ship. A few seconds later Sokka and Aang joined us. The ship wasn't going to move anytime soon it was massive.

"It's no use it would take a herd of elephant Lions to move this ship!" Sokka cried, exhausted.

"Or two waterbenders." Aang added, sharing a smile with Katara. Nodding the two began waterbending in sync. While they did that Sokka and I climbed aboard. Sokka took the helm while I readied my fans.

It happened faster than I expected. The Pirates somehow knew how to use Zuko's ship (or Zuko's little river boat was faster than theirs), and I found myself fending off the pirates. My fans were moving as fast as I could make them as I battled the pirates boarding. I knocked two overboard, and another two were knocked off by two different bending forms. Katara's excited squeal of 'I did it!' rang in my ears while I ran past her to start fighting a pirate who was trying to detain Sokka. 

After the pirates had been knocked into the water, I turned. Katara and Aang were bending furiously, creating two whirlpools to keep us from going over the waterfall. In the excitement, I had nearly forgotten about Zuko's little ship which quickly drove into our own. We were thrown from the deck of the ship, over the waterfall... and were caught by Appa. As the giant animal flew away, I took a deep breath and leaned back. I was more than ready for a quiet week of dull travel.


	15. The Thing About Life

If only I had gotten that week of tedious travel I had wanted. In actuality, it was only five days, a 'work week' that I had gotten off. I had spent much of that time relaxing and reading. I kept the contents of the scroll hidden to my friends though they knew it was fire nation in origin and I liked studying it I pretended to be just as stumped with the language as they were. It appeared that while all three knew how to speak and read the common language as well as their own, I seemed to be the only one proficient in reading fire nation fluently. I wondered why Agni had given me more than I had asked but I decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

We had stopped for lunch on the fifth day in a beautiful clearing. All around us, the trees were red and gold. We were deep in the throes of autumn, no signs of green remained on the leaves. We had been running from winter, but it was beginning to overtake us. There was no doubt in my mind that winter would be in full swing

We had just finished packing up and were about to climb onto Appa when Sokka interrupted.

"Nope. We're not riding Appa." I turned to look at him incredulously.

"Why not?" Aang asked. I knew the reason, but I was going to do my darnedest so that they'd listen to me.

"Think about it. How do you think the fire nation and Zuko always find us so quickly. We're riding a giant fluffy monster with an arrow on his head!" He threw his hands into the air intro emphasize his point. Appa rumbled unhappily at Sokka causing Aang to pat him and comfort the two-ton bison with the words.

"Don't worry buddy. Sokka's just jealous because he doesn't have an arrow."

"Sokka." I stated, catching the water tribe boy's attention, "Appa gets us where we need to go faster. Without him, we would still be on Kyoshi Island. He's the reason we're ahead of the fire nation in the first place." Sokka paused to think about that for a moment before he shook his head.

"I understand what you're saying, but I don't agree. Just let us try today and if it doesn't go well, we never have to do it again." I sighed but nodded. It was beginning to look like the only way they would follow my suggestions was if they knew of my 'ability.' Was I willing to do that? To tell them about what I knew?

  
Three hours later I was getting frustrated enough to pull my hair out. Katara and Aang were acting like little kids on a long road trip, and it was grating on my nerves. Sokka was equally frustrated, probably more so since Katara and Aang kept making jibes about his instincts.

"Maybe Sokka's instincts could carry it for you," Katara suggested. I grimaced as Aang piped up.

"Hey, Sokka's instincts would you-"

"I get it!" Sokka barked, causing me to jump in surprise. Sighing, Sokka turned.

"Listen, we're all tired and fed up from today. Next clearing we'll stop for the night. Okay?" We all nodded. I couldn't blame them it was tiring to be walking for so long when we were used to Appa.  
Sokka pushed through a wall of greenery and stopped. Katara and Aang followed after him.

"Sokka what's wrong-" I froze, staring at the group of fire nation soldiers who had all sat down to dinner in the same clearing Sokka had decided we were going to eat in. Horror washed over me as I suddenly realized I had forgotten this episode. The strange thing was that Momo had never gotten caught by the nation fire traps... why hadn't that happened?

Action exploded out of the corner of my eye, and suddenly everyone was fighting. I was quickly lost in the battle. Parry, slash, jab, parry, slash, jab. Then my opponent was gone, laying on the ground by my feet. I stared at him blankly. I hadn't injured him at all there was no reason why a fire nation soldier would just be lying there with glassy eyes. I quickly looked away. I didn't want to know what had happened. Pushing my mind off the subject, I turned to help someone or find another opponent in time to see a boy I recognized as Jet slice into a man's arm with his hooked blades. My stomach churned, and I looked away again. I didn't want to hear the screams of pain I didn't want to know that these soldiers were dying because of a mistake.

The battle was over as quickly as it began. To my surprise, only four or five men had died. The rest had taken off into the woods.

"You're a good fighter." I jumped and looked down to see a familiar boy with a huge helmet half falling off. I instantly recognized him as the Duke

"Um, thanks... I think." I said. I turned slightly to see Jet conversing with Katara, Sokka, and Aang. Walking over I narrowed my eyes at the boys and crossing my arms over my chest. If I had a list of the characters I disliked most Jet would be up near the top, right behind Yue's fiance and Jong-Jong. Of course, that was my personal opinion, no one else.

"I'm Jet," the Rouge introduced himself with a flair, "and these are my freedom fighters, Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, the Duke, and Pipsqueak." As each Freedom, Fighter heard their name they would wave or turn to look before going back to work.

"And you guys are?" Jet asked Katara with a sly look. I had no doubt that Jet is well aware of his good looks.

"I'm Katara, my brother Sokka. That's Aang he's the Avatar. And that's Pala or Maddi." Katara introduced. I sigh and walk past them, deciding on a fire nation tent I want to check out. I wasn't the only one inside Smellerbee was packing up the weapons mostly spears and pikes with the occasional sword. It was out of the corner of my eye that I saw the weapon.

It was a bow made from plain wood, undecorated. Beside it a small quiver of arrows. Curiously I picked it up. It felt nice but foreign. I had never had held a weapon even remotely similar to this. Smellerbee looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You're holding it wrong." I looked down at the weapon and blushingly flipped it over. Smellerbee smiled lightly which looked strange to me.

"I need a long range weapon... could I possibly convince you to teach me?" I asked her. Smellerbee paused and looked at me, a considering expression on her face. Finally, she shrugged.

"If you guys are staying I don't see why not." I beamed, my fans were useful, but a long range weapon could make all the difference in a real battle.

* * *

I had to admit, albeit grudgingly that Jet's tree house was beautiful, especially in fall colors. We had all gone our separate ways after Jet had shown around. I didn't know where Katara and Sokka were, but I had seen Aang every so often, running around like the entire place was a giant toy. Grunting, I pulled the string taught before letting lose the arrow. It flew a few feet before bouncing off the tree I had been aiming for.

"Need a hand?" I turned. Smellerbee was standing there, arms crossed with a look of amusement. I gave a guilty smile and nodded, moving to the side. Smellerbee took the bow and notched an arrow. In a second the thin stick was deeply embedded in the tree. My mouth dropped in shock if this was how good Smellerbee was how good was Longshot?

  
"Longshot taught me," she explained, "I've never seen anyone who is as good as he is."

"Good enough to be a Yu Yan Archer?" Smellerbee stopped and looked at me with unbridled anger.

"Don't you dare mention them again." I jumped. The tone in Smellerbee's voice was shocking there was no doubt in my mind that I had insulted her somehow.

"Are…? Oh. I wasn't meaning to compare him to anyone fire nation," I back peddled, "I was just saying he has to be as good even better than the legendary archers if he taught you." She nodded, but there was still a suspicion in her eyes.

Four hours of tiger opus teaching later I had finally mastered holding and stringing the bow as well as notching the arrows. Smellerbee said I already had good aim, so I just had to work on that. After Smellerbee I worked on the

"Pala? What are you doing?" I turned to see Aang watching me with interest.

"Practicing a new skill," I replied with a grunt as I let the arrow loose.

"I'll never be as good as Longshot, but I still can use the skill to help us out. You never know when something like archery will come in handy." I replied to the young bender.

"Sounds cool but Katara wanted you to come back. She was worried because it was getting late." I looked up at the sky it was turning red.

"Besides, Jet is giving a feast," Aang added coyly. I sighed and nodded, following Aang to dinner.

  
I remained quiet during dinner and bit my tongue despite the fact I wanted to scream at Jet for what he was saying. As soon as it was over, I stormed into our quarters. I didn't want anything to do with this.

* * *

 _I have been training among the other fire nation recruits for over a week now and the days are blurring into one. I miss my mother, and I miss Sui. I wonder how they are doing. Somehow this diary has remained hidden, in some cases, I swear the spirits are on my side, and it is they who allow me to keep this small memory of home with me. I pray to Agni every night begging her to keep my family safe and that I may return home to plow the solid earth. Here they tell us stories during our drills of the horrific deeds_ earthbenders _have committed again fire nation soldiers like us. They tell us that_ earthbending _is not true bending for the earth itself is unmoving, yet_ earthbending _in and out of itself moves the rock. Reality seems to vanish in front of my eyes until I can't tell if I'm awake or dreaming. I know that the others are feeling it as well. I am afraid that I will die. I hear whispers of how soldiers who can't bend are always the first to die. They never make it. I fear the rumors are true. What is the point in choosing non-benders for battle if all we do is die? Is it the will of the fire lord? Is it the will of Agni that we kill all who are not of us? Sometimes I wonder if my life before now was a dream and this... this waking horror is my reality and will be until the day I enter the spirit world._

* * *

I woke up with a panicked scream, images of dead men floating in the dark behind my eyelids. I could not sleep. Sleep would mean remembering, and I want to forget. I look around. No one else has woken up. They all sleep peacefully, their dreams undisturbed. I grabbed my bow and arrows and crept outside. The air was chilled, and frost sprinkled the ground, covering the wooden boards with slippery crystal. I was careful where I walked my eyes fixed firmly on my feet. I find the tree that I had been practicing on yesterday and begin to practice again. Each time I let go of the string, a familiar twang rang in my ears. Then there was the thud of the arrow impacting in wood.

I don't stop shooting until the quiver is empty of arrows than I pull them from the tree and begin again. I only stopped once my arm ached and burned from the effort and my cheeks were cold and numb. Then I packed up and crawled back into bed and worked on my reading. I still don't know the name of the soldier who wrote this note. He never mentioned it. I supposed it makes sense this was a personal diary only meant for his eyes, and obviously, he knows who he is.

"Maddi, get up." I turned to see Katara standing over my bed. I sighed and flipped over, rubbing my eyes tiredly.

"What's up?"

"What... what do you do when you like someone?" I blinked and sat up. Katara was asking advice of what to do when you... she wasn't serious was she?

"Katara..." I stumbled before pinching the bridge of my nose, "are you talking about Jet." Katara looked away, blushing deeply.

"Oh boy." I groaned. "Katara... I wouldn't. I don't trust Jet... He's..." I trailed off when I saw how upset she looked.

"Katara..." I looked away. I couldn't say it. I couldn't tell her, and I couldn't expose Jet either. I couldn't do that but her broken heart at the end of this episode... I was torn. What choice should I make? With a deep breath, I reached a compromise.

"If you care for someone you need to tell him, you can't just expect him to know... Talk to him... but personally, I believe that a relationship won't work unless you are more than just romantically inclined. You need to be able to trust each other, partners or friends who you have a romantic inclination for are the best in my opinion. My boyfriend and I were close friends as well as romantically involved, and it worked out well... but Katara... I personally don't think Jet is the right person. I can't make that choice for you but... just don't give him your heart right away. Get to know him first." Katara frowned then smiled brightly and left. I collapsed onto the bed. I hoped that she would be wiser this time.

* * *

That night I lay on my back, pretending to be asleep when I heard the familiar sound of someone moving in their sleep. Turning my head, I opened one eye a crack. Sokka was sitting up, staring at his boomerang which lay in his lap. After a second I sat up.

"Is there something wrong?"

"There's something going on here. I know it." He replied before looking up at me, "What do you think?"

"I agree with you, Jet reeks of something... but..."

"But Katara likes him." I blinked and looked at Sokka in surprise.

"I'm not stupid I know my sister and for some reason she likes Jet. Is that why you're hiding out here? Because you don't want to upset her? Because that's a stupid excuse," Sokka said. I blinked at him, dumbfounded. I wasn't used to him being this frank.

"You've been pulling away since the crescent island, especially after you got that scroll. You're using it to hide from us. You're not fooling me. So what's wrong?" I shook my head. How could Sokka know the sort of difficulty I was going through. I was still trying to decide whether I should outright tell them what I knew and risk the future of the world or to keep it quiet, act as I saw fit and then tell them after and putting an end to our friendship. I didn't want either. They were all I had in this world, and I knew I was selfish, but I didn't want to risk that. On the other hand telling them while it would change the world like I wanted to I feared it would change the world in a way that couldn't be salvageable. My mistakes, the mistakes of one person could be fixed but if my companions acted on my knowledge and did something that could harm the outcome... I wouldn’t know what to do. This was to much pressure for one person.

"I... I can't tell you Sokka." There was silence for a while. Fearing the worst I turned, only to notice Sokka had clambered out of bed and was staring at the door fiercely. I turned my head slightly. There were noises coming from outside. I scrambled out of bed quickly and fell into step behind Sokka. Peering outside we saw Jet and some of the other freedom fighters loading up the blasting jelly which eerily looked like plastic explosive into a large cart. Sharing a look Sokka and I quickly slip out of the hut and follow.

Just like in the episode we were led to the edge of a cliff after the wagon broke away from Jet, Longshot, Smellerbee, and Pipsqueak. The sun was just beginning to rise while Jet set off Longshot.

"Remember, don't shoot until you hear the signal." Longshot nodded and walked off. All was silent for a moment. I slowly eased myself down into a more comfortable position my back was aching and once again my ears stung from the cold.

I cried out as suddenly I was pulled up out of the bushes. Sokka right beside me. Pipsqueak held us both, one in each hand like kittens.

"Sokka I'm glad you decided to join us, and you brought your hidden little friend. I haven't seen a lot of her." I glared at Jet.

"Trust me I've already seen way too much of you."

"I know what you're doing Jet," Sokka snapped, "I know your plans. I know how you lied to Katara and Aang about the forest fire." Jet frowned, no it was more of a smirk.

"I was hoping you would have an open mind Sokka. But I can't let you warn Katara and Aang. Take them for a walk... a long walk."

* * *

I stayed quiet as Pipsqueak and Smellerbee shoved Sokka and me along the trail. I was deep in thought. What was the reason I had been hiding? Why had I been avoiding my companions? Had I been avoiding them like Sokka said? I wasn't sure. I jumped when Sokka suddenly dodged out to the left. I quickly followed, slipped just out of the reach of Smellerbee's hand. I noticed a pile of leaves with a handful of red berries. I knew what was under those.

"Sokka between the red!" I barked praying that he would get the message. The water tribe boy nodded but didn't look back and dodged between them. I followed after him as well. Smellerbee and Pipsqueak didn't. I whooped as I heard the sound of metal snapping closed like a bear trap. Sokka turned with surprise.

"How did you-?"

"No time." I barked, running right past him, "We need to get to the village. Now!"

Sokka ran beside me, keeping pace as I prayed that we would be on time, just like in the series.

I was breathing hard by the time Sokka and I reached the bottom of the forest. I slowed down, gasping slightly. Sokka stopped, noticing that I wasn't keeping pace with him anymore.

"Pala we can't stop yet." He cried. I nodded, and we took off running again. My legs burned, but I wasn't going to stop until we had those villagers safe. Beaming I turned it into a race, mentally convincing myself of a crowd going wild. Energy exploded from within me as my competitive nature which hadn't had a reason to surface before sprang into being.

I laughed as I outdistanced Sokka then cried in shock as he suddenly was sprinting past me. We raced that way straight into the village and skidded to a stop in the center of town.

"Who are you?" I turned to see a fire nation soldier pointing a spear at my head. My blood froze as I tried to think of what to say. Something told me that 'Hi we're not against the fire nation, and we're here to save you' wasn't going to cut it.

"Listen to me. We're here to warn you. Jet and his thugs are going to flood the town." I smiled and took a step back, allowing Sokka his moment to shine. He deserved it.

"That child who lives in the trees?" one soldier asked, scoffing, "Besides, who's to say that you're not with him."

"Jet is dangerous. And I do not support him." Sokka stated, "We came here to warn you that he's filling the dam as we speak and in a few moments he'll blow it up."

"And-"

"Trust what he says." A familiar looking elderly man in fire nation robes said. It took me a moment before I recognized him as the man Sokka saved from Jet. The soldier who had been giving us the trouble opened his mouth to speak before closing it. Finally, he spoke.

"Fine," the soldier started bellowing orders at everyone. The townspeople began gathering together. I watched in fascination as just like that the entire town was ready to leave. I fell into step beside Sokka and the man both taking up the rear of the procession.

"That was incredible." I commented, "How did you get the soldier to listen to you?" The elderly man snorted.

"Simple, really. I'm his banker."


	16. Confrontations

Breathe in.

_I gently stroked Katara's hair as the girl sobbed, heartbroken. As soon as we had gotten far enough away, Katara had started crying. I hadn't realized just how badly she had fallen for Jet, and now I was regretting the advice or lack of it that I had given her back in the tree house._

Breathe out.

 _I stormed away from the Gan Jin tribe, furious. I could not believe their audacity. They completely brushed off what I said and then called me_ ignorant _. Snarling I kicked a rock, sending it skittering over the deserted ground. I hated this. I hated being like this I deserved more respect than that. They had no right. No right._

Breathe In.

_"I know you have your secrets, and you know what, I'm okay with that but the second you feel that you can tell us let me know. We all care for you, and we all trust you. I just would like to see that you trust us." He told me softly._

Breathe out.

"Prithvi," I called, "I need to talk to you."

"I do not believe I said that I would come when you called," I opened my eyes and looked up. Prithvi stood above me appearing completely solid. I quickly rose from the stony ground I was sitting with my legs crossed. Wincing, I realized that they had fallen sleep as the feeling of pins and needles assaulted them.

"You just did." I pointed out as I brushed the dirt off my legs, my face twisting in annoyance. Prithvi glared at me.

"The purpose of mediation is to clear your mind," he added, ignoring my statement, "not to go over everything that has happened in the last week." This time, it was my turn to glare. Prithvi sighed.

"Why did you call me Madison?" He asked. I took a deep breath. Better get this over with.

"I have some questions that I need to be answered," I admitted, my eyes taking in the small clearing I had been sitting in.

"No." I paused then turned to look at Prithvi.

"What do you mean no?" I snapped, "I have every right to know considering you warned me about him." Prithvi shrugged.

"There are rules. If a spirit breaks them, the punishment is severe."

"Aren't you one of the spirits that would discipline the rule breakers? Who would argue with you?" I barked. My anger was growing. I wanted answers.

"There is a level of accountability among even the stronger spirits," Prithvi stated icily. "I cannot tell you more than I already have when it comes to Lung." I grimaced. All Prithvi had said about Lung was that the spirit wasn't to be trusted and that he was Prithvi's brother. Not a lot of information to work off of.

"Why do you suddenly want to know so much about Lung?" Prithvi asked me. "Are you genuinely interested in him or is it something else that you wanted?"

"I've been…" I trailed off, unsure of how to articulate my feelings.

"Noticing that there isn't as much change as you expected?" Prithvi asked. He still hadn't moved from his position. I was beginning to wonder if it was a trait of his never to move.

"That's one of the things. I thought making a change would be easy, but I've been struggling with it."

"That tends to happen, and your life is only going to get even harder from now." I frowned and crossed arms.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Prithvi rolled his eyes.

"Spirits can see human's memories. That hasn't changed with you. We know your past we even know the future of the world as well as you do."

"Then why can't you change the world!" I cried. "Why do you need me at all!"

"Spirits are not allowed to interfere. We cannot take action. The only spirit who can is Ravva, and she can only interfere with the current avatar. No one else." Prithvi stated.

"So you use me to make the changes you can-"

"I do not." Prithvi snapped, "I know better. Loopholes have a tenacity of biting the one who had the nerve to use it in the first place. However some spirits are not as wise and would use you to make changes they wanted to see." My brow furrowed in confusion. I had a suspicion of who the particular spirit Prithvi was talking about was.

"Lung?"

"Him and others like him."

"Why would they want to use me?" I demanded, frustration building.

"I have already told you that. I am sorry Madison, I can tell you no more." Prithvi turned and then he was gone. I stared at the place the deity had been standing, with the distinct impression that I wanted to drop kick him across the planet. My lips curled as I stalked out of the clearing, I was furious, and I just wanted to beat something into a pulp and at that moment I didn't care what it would be.

"Pala, are you okay?" I turned to see Katara looking at me. I shrugged.

"Fine. Just frustrated. Where are you going?" Katara looked up from the bag she had been adjusting.

"Going into town, we're out of food." I frowned but nodded. Running out of food tended to happen when you had a twelve-year-old boy, a fourteen-year-old girl and another boy of sixteen. All three were at that age when they needed to eat a lot so that their bodies would keep growing. Aang was used to the occasional fasting which is why he had done so well back during our time at the great divide, but he still needed to eat just as much as the rest of us. Back there it was only my anger and frustration that kept me going. Although that might have had something to do with the fact that the only ones who went without food were the guide, Aang and me.

"I'm coming along," I told her firmly. Katara smiled.

"That's what Sokka and Aang said." I chuckled and nodded.

"Well let's get going then. Okay?"

* * *

"I think this melon is rotten." Katara pointed out to the seller as she held the watermelon up for inspection.

"It's not rotten."

"It's making a swishing sound when I do this." Katara insisted, moving the melon side to side. The saleswoman snorted.

"That's all the ripe juices swishing about."

"I'm pretty sure that swishing means it is in the early stages of decomposition." I corrected from where I was inspecting a pomegranate, "A melon that's properly ripe should still be firm enough to make no noise." The saleswoman glared at me. Apparently, she had seen Katara as a good way to get rid of the fruit that had passed.

"It's alright." Katara stated quickly, "We're out of money anyway," A shiver of cold went up my spine. I recognized that sentence. I knew this part of the story. It was the storm.

"Great, no food and no money," Sokka complained. I shivered. Autumn was fully set in, and there was a distinct chill in the air.

"Well how about you find a job," Katara suggested tersely. I knew she probably didn't mean it, but she had a point. We needed money and not from that fisherman.

"I'll do it." I quickly spoke up. I wasn't going to let Sokka get on the same ship as that old man. We'd go and save him, but I was not going to endanger anyone in the meanwhile.

"Don't be ridiculous I can do it."

"Well, you're not" I replied in a brusk manner. Sokka shot me a glare.

"Pala, a word. Alone."

Sokka dragged me away from everyone out of hearing range before looking me dead straight in the eyes.

"I've told you before I'm okay with you keeping secrets, but I'm going to do what I think is best. If you know better, you have to tell me why first." I fell silent. What was I going to tell Sokka? What could I say? I stared at Sokka blankly. I had no idea what to say.

"Sokka, I..." Sokka frowned and turned to leave.

"Wait," He turned.

"I don't know how to start and even if I did... I don't think anyone would believe me." There was the strangest look in Sokka's eyes as he nodded.

"It's okay. I promise I'll listen and keep an open mind." He grinned, the same smile he used when he was about to pull out the sarcasm.

"I've seen the avatar be resurrected, ended up in the spirit world and been more than halfway across the world on a giant fluffy monster. Nothing can surprise me anymore."

"I'm not from here." My breath caught. Was I going to tell Sokka? An image flashed in front of my eyes of Sokka with a betrayed expression on his face which quickly shifted to anger before he left.

"Of course, you're not. You're from Kangaroo Island."

"No..." I was beginning to shake. It was now or never, I had to let them know.

"I'm not from Kangaroo Island. I've been lying. I've been lying since I met you and Katara." I looked up from where I had been staring at my feet. Sokka's face was blank as he took that in. I quickly averted my gaze to the side. I didn't want to see the betrayal on his face.

"Not everything. I mean I've told you guys the truth about my family, just... some of it was altered and some things I let you believe that you decided yourself and stuff like that. I never lied about how I felt about-"

"Pala, calm down. You're ranting" I looked back at him. His eyebrows, against his blue eyes. Still, all I saw was sincerity.

"I know you were keeping your secrets for a reason. I just don't know what that reason was." I nodded, licking my lips.

"So if not from Kangaroo Island... where do you come from?" I took a deep breath. I was almost crippled by the fear invading my very bones.

"I'm not from here," I repeated. I couldn't think of anything else to say. It was too hard. How on earth was I supposed to say that I had been from another world where this one was just a story? Why was it so easy for all those fictional characters that people made up to say so?

"You're not from the earth kingdom?" I winced. Sokka wasn't going to guess unless I told him straight out. I didn't blame him. No one would instantly assume that someone had come from another world.

"I'm... not from this... world." I winced on the last word. I didn't know what Sokka would do. It was then I noticed how still the air was. Not a gust of wind, not the slightest movement in the trees. Not that I had expected anything less, a storm was coming.

"You're from the spirit world." In hindsight, I realized that believing I was a spirit was the next logical step for Sokka to take.

"No, well, no not really. I passed through there on my way here apparently, but I don't remember it. I come from a world where bending is a story. A legend. It wasn't real. Or at least most people didn't think it was real. And I'm rambling again." I blushed deeply, embarrassed. Once again I looked up at Sokka, he was shocked. His mouth hung open, and his eyes bulged.

"Another world?" He asked incredulously. Then something else occurred to him.

"Another world... where we're legends?" I nodded mutely, as one hand subconsciously reached up and began stroking my necklace. I stayed quiet as Sokka reached the next conclusion.

"You know what's going to happen. You know our future because you heard it in the legends of your people." I stared at Sokka in shock. I had known he was smart, brilliant even but this was farther than I would have ever guessed. It was now my turn to stare. After a moment I nodded again. I swallowed and sighed.

"That's why I didn't want to let anyone know," I admitted, my body shaking.

"I was scared. If I told someone then either they'd think I was crazy. Or you'd stop respecting me as a friend and companion and all I would be is your Virgil in the Inferno, or someone would spill and let someone know and then our enemies would start going after me too and-"

"Sokka! Pala! Aang's run away!" I jumped and spun to see Katara looking up at us, eyes wide in fear. My heart stopped. I was still breathing fast, reeking of panic but my heart had stopped. Aang was gone, and I knew exactly why. While Sokka and I had been talking the old woman and her husband had come up and just like in the series, the fisherman insulted Aang just like he had in the series.

"Come on we need to go." I stated briskly, "Aang needs us, and we have to get to him before the storm sets in."

* * *

 

The ride on Appa was awkward. No one talked. Sokka was thinking over what I had said, and I was fearful of what his reaction would be. Would I just become a guide? A cheat sheet for their life or would they still be able to look at me as their friend. As if I was no different, only that I had some wisdom that could help them along the way like Roku or Iroh. Katara was focused on steering Appa and looking for Aang.

We found the cave that Aang was hiding in easily enough, but not before it began to rain. We ran inside to see Aang sitting with his back to the entrance, clearly upset.

"I'm sorry I ran away." He murmured softly. I stayed back, letting Katara give the assurances.

"It's okay that fisherman was way out of line."

"No, he wasn't," Aang replied, not even looking at us. Sokka shot me a worried glance, but I ignored it. Instead, I walked past the three of them, into the back of the cave. There was a lot of twigs and sticks and here and there, dried moss. Useful tools for starting a fire. I stopped when that came to my mind. Back at home, I had gone camping, but it had never been as far from civilization as this was and it had never involved surviving off the very land itself as Sokka and Katara and even Aang had taught me to do.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

I picked up a bundle of the wood and dropped it in a pile in front of Aang and Katara. Sokka sat to the side slightly, seeming deep in thought. While Katara and Aang talked about the dream, the nightmare Aang had been having last night I set up the small fire which would alleviate the cold and damp.

After the fire was started and Appa had joined us inside the cave, Aang began his story. I knew it well. While he talked I mentally drifted away, my mind going to another story that was ongoing at this time. The story Iroh was telling the crew of Zuko's ship at this very moment.

"The world needed me, and I wasn't there!" Aang shouted, pulling me from the images in my mind with a start.

"Aang, you're too hard on yourself. Even if you hadn't run away, you might have just died like the others." Katara reasoned.

"You don't know that."

"You know, usually, I'd agree with you, but I think my sister is right this time." Sokka pointed out, "Maybe somethings have reasons for happening."I looked up at Sokka and allowed myself to smile. Something told me that he wasn't just talking to Aang. I took a deep breath. My turn.

"What's done is done, Aang. You can't change what's already happened. You can only change what is going to happen. Try to think like every day you wake up as a second chance to right what you got wrong the day before." Aang smiled at us lightly and nodded.

"Come on, let's get going."

"Help!" I jumped at the shout. An elderly woman dressed in a dark rain poncho. Katara stood up and ran towards her, eyes wide in shock.

"It's okay. You're safe." She assured the woman. I quickly hurried over and helped support the lady until we reached the fire. The woman was old her jowls hung down like a bulldogs and her wrinkles created shadowy folds across her face.

"But my husband isn't."

"The fisherman?" Sokka asked, standing. The woman nodded.

"He still hasn't returned, and he should have been back by now. The storm is a typhoon. He's caught out at see, and no one will go out in this weather." I turned and looked at Aang.

"It's your choice Aang are we going to save them or stay here." Katara and Sokka sent me incredulous looks, but I ignored them. Aang frowned before his eyes set in determination.

"We go."

* * *

A typhoon was an understatement. It was everything I could do to hold onto Appa's saddle. The rain was blinding and icy cold. Sheets of ice water which stung my face like needles. Aang sat on Appa's head, steering. Katara and Sokka sat beside me, both of them struggling as much as I was.

"I can't see anything!" I screamed, unsure if they could even hear me over the howling wind and thunder. This was a thunderstorm mixed with a hurricane. It wasn't natural.

"The boat! There it is!" Katara bellowed. She pointed. I followed the finger. A tiny little wooden boat bobbed on the tossing sea, a twig over rapids. It was helpless as was the elderly man desperately trying to control the sails.

"I can't land Appa there!" Aang shouted to us. I nodded.

"Just take us down as close as you can. We'll do the rest." I didn't hear Aang's response if he even made one. A strong gust of wind almost knocked me off balance. Sokka grabbed my arm. I winced at the strength but didn't say anything. Appa descended in jerky moments that scared me out of my wits. Soon enough we were close enough to the boat.

"We have to jump!" Sokka shouted. I nodded despite the fear gripping me. I was going to be brave. I didn't have a reason to be scared. Taking a deep breath, I seized Sokka and Katara by the hands, and we jumped.

I hit the deck and collapsed to the ground. Sokka and Katara let go of me, not wasting a second. Sokka began helping the old man get control of his sails and Katara started bending water out of the boat, easing its load. I stumbled to my feet quickly and ran to join Sokka and the old man. As soon as the sails were secure, I grabbed Sokka.

"We have to leave the boat and get him onto Appa."

"This is his livelihood! We can't leave it!"

"If we don't he won't have a life to worry about!" I screamed.

"How do you know that?"

"You have to trust me." Sokka looked worried but nodded. He grabbed the man and started dragging him over to Katara and I. Aang was coming back down. It was going to be hard, but this was a risk we had to take. As Aang swooped down with Appa, Sokka, and the old man jumped, reaching for Appa's tail. They landed, Aang having left the bison's head to help the elderly man up to the saddle. Katara and I were next. With a cry, I launched myself from the boat, Katara right beside me. We hit Appa's tail with a loud smack. We clambered up, shaking and wet onto the saddle.

"GO! GO! Go!" My voice was raw and by the last word it cracked painfully. Aang spun Appa around, and we flew away the giant wave forming right on our tails. We flew for minutes although it could have been hours. Every time we tried to fly in the direction of the village we were forced to turn around. Finally, Aang turned us into the eye of the storm.

* * *

I watched the fire as I picked apart the fish meat on my lap. We had managed to escape somehow and reunite the woman with her husband. The elderly couple had been grateful and given us a meal. Three good sized fish. I had told my friends that we needed to get completely dry as well as our clothes. Aang had kindly air dried everyone, and now we sat beside a roaring fire with three beautiful smoked fish sitting on our laps. Even Aang was partaking in the meal, which told me just how hungry the young avatar was.

"So are you going to tell them?" Sokka asked me as he moved to sit beside me. I shrugged.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm sure Aang would appreciate having someone else to share the burden of the world on his shoulders and all but Katara..." I paused and looked deeply into the fire. The coals glowed in an ethereal light, casting dark shadows across the faces of my friends.

"You think she'll reject you?"

"She's fourteen and naive, her world is all black and white. She might believe me, but she'll be angry I kept it to myself, and she'll think that I will always have to take action to try to change things."

"Do you really think that?"

"Katara's a nice girl." I told Sokka, "but I don't know her as well as I should."

"Maybe give her a chance because if I know and Aang knows but she doesn't... she won't forgive you for a while."

"I know that Sokka." I sighed, "I'm not completely ready to tell everything."

"I'll wait," I smiled at Sokka. In the fire, a log snapped loudly.

"Thanks."


	17. The Web of Lies

It all started with a sore throat from Sokka. He was a little hoarse and was coughing slightly. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to alarm me. By the end of the day, he was running a fever with hallucinations. Katara sent Aang out to find ginger root since he knew what ginger looked like while I didn't. While Aang was gone, I worked ferociously, making sure Sokka remained hydrated and warm.

"I couldn't find any ginger root," Aang stated as he returned from his outing half and hour later.

"But I did find a map. It says that there's a herbalist's nearby." Aang turned to leave with his glider but stopped when there was a clap of thunder. I frowned. The storm was long gone even though the sky was still gray. There shouldn't have been any more thunder. Katara coughed beside me.

"Not you too." Aang moaned. I winced myself. So far I was healthy but who knew how long that would last?

"It's just a cough Aang." Katara tried to assure him but to no avail.

"That was what it was like for Sokka earlier and now look. He thinks he's an earthbender!" As if on cue Sokka made a funny move.

"Take that you rock." He mumbled. I sighed and tucked his arms back into his sleeping bag.

"You too Katara, you need to keep warm and rest, or you're going to end up like him." I cautioned. I turned to Aang.

"A word, in private please." He nodded, and we walked a little ways away from where the two water tribe siblings lay against Appa.

"Aang, be careful okay, avoid the paths, even if it takes longer... there's a lot I need to tell you but there isn't time. Just remember that even when things look their bleakest, you'll be alright and that Zuko-" I trailed off for a moment, unsure of how to continue. An image flashed in front of my eyes. It was my first day of tenth grade, my first year of high school and I was terrified. I didn't know where to go and was relying heavily upon the school map I had been given. I walked into my homeroom and noticed that all around the room, inspirational posters had been written. Several caught my eye, each one distinctly different.

"Scars may show us where we have been, but should not dictate where we are going." That one poster had not only made me comfortable, but it had also reminded me of Zuko. It just seemed to fit his character so well in both literal and figurative terms too.

"What?" I blinked looking up at Aang in surprise. I had forgotten that he was there for a moment.

"Sorry, if you met Zuko just give him a chance, he's not as bad as he likes us to believe," Aang looked at me strangely then nodded and took off running. I sighed and turned around. This was going to be a long couple of hours.

About half an hour later Katara asked for water. I agreed and left having run out a little while ago.

When I returned Katara's eyes were glassy, and she was staring out into space. For a split second, I panicked before I realized she was just hallucinating like Sokka had been. I eased down beside her carefully. I ladled some water from the bucket and held it in front of her.

"Thanks, Momo." I blinked at her in shock. It was then I realized. I had always wondered what had happened to the little trinkets Momo had found for Katara and why they had vanished after Aang showed up. Now I knew why. Every part that involved Momo and Katara in that episode was all a hallucination. It sent shivers up my spine even thinking just how advanced the mental trickery that this fever was causing. Whatever this strange illness was I wanted nothing to do with it.

Aang didn't return until nearly sunrise the next day. He was exhausted and worn. His clothes were dirty and torn in places, and he almost shoved a frog in my mouth before he realized I wasn't sick anymore then he was. I looked at him and wondered what he had gone through yesterday.

* * *

Aang

I stretched myself gently slowly riding my body of the soreness that being imprisoned had caused. At the same time, I tried to move past the fears I had been experiencing. The fear that this illness might be fatal, that Maddi fell ill while I was away. The fear that I would never return to my friends and that I would forever be alone in the metal walls. The fear that I would be a prisoner until the day I died. Then there was Zuko. He had risked everything to save me, his life, his position, even the honor he forever seemed fixated on. I didn't understand why. Why would he pretend to be the blue spirit? Had his plan been to kidnap me from Admiral Zhao and take me for himself or had he just wanted to free me? All these questions ran circles in my mind. Not knowing was bothering me more than anything. If I knew he was my enemy, then I would have left already. If I had known, he was my friend I would have brought him to Katara, Sokka, and Maddi. As it was he was in some sort of in between and for some bizarre reason, Maddi not only trusted him, she cared for him. Maybe Maddi had a point. Maybe it was time to give Zuko a chance. I hopped up onto a branch which was covered in moss and waited.

A few moments later Zuko shifted slightly. I began talking. Telling him things that had been on my mind since I had been to Omashu. I had been so scared because I had been sure that Bumi was dead.

"You know what the worst thing about being born a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with." I smiled slightly as a memory of Kuzon came to my mind.

"Before the war started I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us? We'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had." I felt a stab of pain. I hadn't been able to see Kuzon after I had been told I was the avatar. Would he have turned his back on me as the others had or would he have stayed with me as my current friends had?

"And he was from the fire nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?" Zuko didn't move he just stared at me, a strange expression on his face. I shrugged.

"You know I talked to Maddi before I was captured. She said something... I don't think she realized she had, but it was something which I thought sounded really wise. She said that we all have scars and that while they show us where we have been, they don't dictate what we're going to do with our lives." I noticed the fury in his eyes before I realized how he might have taken what I was saying.

"It's just a saying, it doesn't mean anything, but I think she's right. We all have scars, just because you can't see mine doesn't mean I don't have them... I guess what I'm trying to say is, if we had been born at the same time, do you think we could have been friends?" Zuko didn't move. The anger seemed to have vanished slightly, but it wasn't gone.

"I recommend you leave before I hurt you." Was the first words from his lips. I felt my stomach sink and at the same time I was glad. He may not have agreed we could have been friends, but he had warned me. Maddi was right that wasn't the sign of someone who wanted to hurt me. I smiled just before I left.

"I think we might have.

* * *

 

Madison

I wasn't particularly pleased when Sokka and Katara insisted we leave the next morning. I suppose both were disgruntled and feeling fairly ill from the fact they were sucking frogs for a good fifteen minutes. Aang while tired had been surprisingly upbeat which had confused me. What was even stranger was he thanked me for the advice with the largest grin on his face. He didn't even ask how I had known. It was too strange for my liking.

We set out, but I was determined and insisted that Sokka and Katara rest the entire way there, in their sleeping bags. Neither had been pleased with me, but they had listed.

"I think I have a wart on my throat flap thingy."

"No Sokka you don't," I told him, I was thoroughly engrossed in the scroll of the fire nation soldier I had bought.

"You didn't even look."

"I didn't have to." I replied in a bored voice, "Neither frogs or toads have warts, the bumps that people think are warts on toads are glands to keep themselves moist. And it's not called a throat flap it has a proper scientific name."

"Maybe in your world those things are true, how do you know they're true here?" If I hadn't seen the look on Sokka's face as he uttered those words, I would have killed him right there and felt no regret. He had just spilled my secret and judging from the expressions on Katara and Aang's faces it hadn't gone unheard either. I closed my eyes, put my scroll to the side and counted to ten slowly. I had to remind myself that Sokka was still recovering from a very bad illness which brought on hallucinations. Still, if I denied it now and told them the truth later, forgiveness wouldn't even be an option.

"What are you talking about?" Katara said with narrowed eyes. I sighed.

"Sokka was talking about the fact I don't come from this world." Slowly I told them everything, going into a lot more detail. I told them about the earthquake, about how my world instead of having bending had technology and how we loved fictional stories. Stories that sometimes weren't as fictional as they appeared.

"You know our future?" Katara asked in shock as she tried to process what I was saying.

"Intimately," I admitted softly, "I loved that, well this particular story. But then I stopped looking at it for a year and a half and then I ended up here. Needless to say, while I have a good memory I can't remember everything."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Aang asked softly. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"For the same reason, you didn't want to be the avatar. I didn't want the weight of the world on my shoulders. I struggled enough in learning how this world works and trying to fit in. I didn't need any more issues and then how was I supposed to tell you that you'd find Aang in an iceberg on a fishing trip? I didn't know if you were going to find him tomorrow or in almost a year. And even after Aang how was I supposed to say that I knew everything about your life from the moment you met him until the day... well I..." I sighed again. Aang looked unsure, and Katara looked downright incredulous.

"If I told you I was scared you wouldn't consider me as a friend and companion but as a map. I was afraid you'd ask me how to live your lives right down on what to eat. I wouldn't be a person anymore, and besides, my knowledge doesn't change as all this does. Because I'm here, the world is changing. Eventually, at some point, my knowledge is going to be outdated and then if you're still expecting all my answer to be right I could end up killing you. Just because I underestimated how fast things would change. I couldn't do that." There was silence for a long time as my friends took in my words. Aang seemed to understand as he gave me a pitying smile. His eyes were clearly saying that he knew, and he'd stand by me. Sokka too was looking supportive, in a determined sort of way. I understood he was telling me that he had my back, no matter what. On the other side of the story, Katara was looking conflicted. She didn't seem to know whether to support me or to criticize me. Either way, I decided that I wasn't going to blame her. She was still young she wasn't as aware of the world as Aang was. She hadn't experienced what Aang had.

"How much are you willing to tell us about what's going to happen?" She finally asked. I sighed.

"I don't know in all honesty. There is just too many variables involved." I admitted. "I don't want to tell you something that is going to happen then have you make a different choice and do something that may have severe consequences."

"And what if you don't tell us and something has changed like you fear and someone gets hurt because of it."

"That's already happened." My companions snapped to attention, suddenly alert.

"Who?"

  
"Suki. She wasn't supposed to get that badly hurt. She was meant to be okay and wish Sokka farewell." I admitted with a shaky voice. I still felt bad about what happened to Suki, but there was nothing I could do to change what had been done. It was over. Like I had told Aang, each new day like a second chance. Sokka nodded seriously there was sadness in his eyes. We still didn't know if Suki and survived. If this had happened in the actual series, I wouldn't have thought about it. Suki had been a minor character until much later in the series, not worth interest. However, not only did I know how important Suki was going to be in the long run, but I also knew she was a real person, she wasn't ink and paper and animation. She was a real sixteen-year-old girl who had her entire village nearly burnt to the ground because they had welcomed three strangers into their midst.

"Is that it?"

"That's all I can think of right now I don't believe there are more people who were hurt."

"What about things you want to change." I looked up at Aang in surprise.

"What are some things you want to stop from happening? Let us know and maybe when that time comes, if it comes, we can help." I gave myself a small smile.

"I don't know but... I can at least tell you what I want to stop. I won't tell you what leads up to that, though, I'm not comfortable with that yet." They nodded. I had a sneaking suspicion that they just wanted an idea of what was going to happen to them.

I want to stop Jet from dying I want to stop Appa from being bison-napped. I want to help Zuko make the right choice earlier. I want to save Iroh. I want to-

"I don't want anyone ever to have to suffer or hurt. I want to save everyone I can. No matter what. I just don't know how to do that." I admitted with a blush.

"That's a tall order," Sokka warned.

"I know, that's why I don't want to tell you guys. You shouldn't have to get involved. None of you should have to go through this. You're still kids you deserve to have a childhood, but you didn't. Your childhood was taken away when Sozin decided to take over the rest of the world. It's something that I can't change, but it is something I wish I could of."

"I don't," Katara told me. It was my turn to look incredulous. How could she not want that?

"Because if that never happened. None of us would have ever met each other." I smiled at Katara as Sokka pointed something else out.

"If you're striving for a perfect world you're not going to get it, Pala. There isn't such a thing."

"No," I agreed, "but I can always try. If I have high goals, then I have greater chance of success." There was silence on the bison for a while as we all took what had been said in. Aang seemed troubled and kept stroking Appa nervously. Katara was deep in thought, unaware of how Sokka was inspecting her. He was keeping an eye on his sister, making sure she was going to be okay. I didn't blame him. There was a lot to be worried about. I gently reached over and touched Aang on the shoulder.

"I promise I'll do everything I can." The young avatar sent me a smile.

"I know. I trust you." After a moment I looked at him more seriously.

"Why did you and Katara trust me so quickly?"

"Well, Sokka believed you," He replied, "and your story was too out there to be a lie. Kind of like how I was trapped in an iceberg for a hundred years... I guess the most unrealistic things are the most real sometimes." I smiled warmly. Aang had no idea how good it was to hear that. Apparently being told that this was just as crazy as it felt was something I had needed.

"Thank you, Aang." Aang shrugged.

"No problem. But you need to trust us. The monks always warned me never to get caught in a web of lies."

"I guess I nearly got caught in one," I admitted. "So how do you escape a web of lies."

"You tell the truth. A single truth can cut through a web of lies like a scythe through corn."


	18. Panda Lilies

"You're all idiots," I grumbled as rain soaked through my hair, pasting my three stranded braid to my chest and the occasional loose strand to my forehead. "Run down a hill and climb a tree? Run in zig-zags? None of those work except making a loud noise to scare it away and then only with black bears which that bear wasn't." Katara sent me a scathing look from underneath the umbrella.

"And why would it be the same as in your world?" I felt myself bristle at the sarcastic tone. The relationship between Katara and I had plummeted since I had told them of my secret. At first, I had been okay with it and given her space to figure it out. Now, four days later and I was getting sick of her attitude. Aang had completely accepted me, and Sokka had never once wavered, but Katara distanced herself after day she found out. I opened my mouth to say something when she butted in front of me.

"I'll let you under the umbrella if you admit you were wrong, Sokka." She told her brother. I huffed, indigent.

"Anyone could have guessed it was going to rain," Sokka insisted, "It's been cloudy all day. Look I'll tell the future now. It's going to keep drizzling." I chuckled. Sokka's hand movements were ridiculous the bonus that the rain did stop that moment was perfect.

"Not everyone has the gift Sokka." Aang teased gently. I desperately wanted to make a comment but restrained myself. I didn't want to completely destroy the already crumbling relationship between Katara and me.

We arrived at Aunt Wu's village a little while later, and Katara insisted that we see her. I was careful to keep my mouth closed. We were escorted in by a man who welcomed us with the 'eerie' words "Welcome, Aunt Wu is expecting you."

Inside I was surprised with how beautiful everything was. Solid wood tables and boxes. Silk screens decorated with images of cherry blossoms and small birds. The entire two story building sang of wealth. Thinking back I realized that Aunt Wu's village was about the same size as Haru's, and yet it looked like it was in the golden era. There were flower beds surrounding each house, and the streets were cobbled with white stone and motor. The roofs were green and curved in the traditional style. For a village with maybe two hundred people for the population, it seemed as though it belonged to an entirely different world then Haru's. I wondered briefly if this wealth was all from Aunt Wu and how a woman who asked for no money was able to support an entire village. Shaking my head I put the question aside, deciding that I would ask Aunt Wu later. I took the opportunity to do some more reading. The writer of my nation fire scroll who I still didn't know the name of had just finished his training and had been assigned to a small group of soldiers guarding a new Fire Nation colony.

 _Day 1 of my time at the colony and already I have decided that city life is too complicated for me. Give me a plot of earth to toil over and leave me to do to it what I will. This assignment seems ridiculously easy for what we were lead to expect in training. Still, I remain_ alert _. As innocent as this seems I don't wish to fall into a false sense of security. I still have scars from when I made that mistake back at the camp._

I was aware of Katara leaving with Aunt Wu and the thick-haired girl who I couldn't remember the name of talk to Aang. I chose to ignore both and continue to read.

 _Day 2. Today we got to exercise our disciplinary ability. A small group of teenagers decided to protest the new nations occupancy of their home. I don't blame them. The more I see of this war, the more I realize that it is not a good thing. It hurts everyone like a swarm of_ locus _. Seven of the teens were caught, and it was placed on our shoulders to carry out the discipline. I was given a whip and put behind a fourteen-year-old girl. The sentence was five lashes. Easy for a seasoned soldier to handle but for a child, pure agony. It took everything I had to hit her and every time I did I wanted to scream_ with _her. It was even worse when I realized that I was only two and a half years older than her. Somehow over my six month training period, I lost my youth. War is a leech that steals away innocence and vitality leaving behind old, tortured souls._

"Your future will be full of pain, most of it self-inflicted." I jumped. I had been so absorbed in my reading that I hadn't even noticed Aunt Wu returning.

"You didn't even read my palm or anything!" Sokka yelped, glaring at the offending woman.

"I didn't have to it's written all over your face." I looked at Sokka curiously. There was a rather interesting dark spot on his cheek where the fish had hit him earlier today. Then I turned and looked at Aunt Wu. She was a handsome woman, and I could tell that she was intelligent. She knew what to look for to diagnose a personality. There was no doubt in my mind that she was simply ahead of her time and knew how to profile.

"Then I guess I'll go next," I stated, rolling up my scroll and tucking it away. I was going to enjoy this, while I was no profiler I had done exceptionally well in all my psychology courses. Aunt Wu lead me into a private area. She gestured at a pillow for me to sit in and then raised her eyebrows.

"Would you like me to read your palm or do a more advanced type?"

"How about some questions first." I proposed, crossing my legs. Aunt Wu nodded, a twinkle in her eyes.

"I didn't think you would be one convinced easily."

"You're right. I don't believe that you can tell the future. I think that you know what to look for in people to guess at who they are and their history. From there you use the four logical fallacies to convince people that you're telling them their future." Aunt Wu's face didn't change.

"And what are these four Logical Fallacies?" She asked lightly. I sighed.

"The Barnum Effect, The fallacy of positive instances, the self-serving bias, and the ad hoc explanations. Mostly you avoid anything specific, using vague terms and references that could fit a very wide variety of people. You will sometimes contradict yourself, and our minds will cause us to remember what applied to us. We want to hear good things and are more likely to believe something positive, and if we do catch you in a mistake, you can explain it away." I crossed my arms with a smug smile.

"The only thing that confuses me is when you use bones. How do you know how individual bones will break? Or do you use the same techniques?" Aunt Wu stared at me for a moment before she erupted into a deep throaty laughter.

"You are a very bright girl. You know what you're looking for, but you are not necessarily right all the time, are you?" Aunt Wu said with a sparkle in her eyes.

"You can't honestly think that you can tell the future?" I asked disbelieving, I had thought that Aunt Wu would be more intelligent than that. She shook her head.

"How about we make a deal, I'll tell you everything I found out about you in this short time, and afterward, we'll see if you believe that I can tell the future. Either way, I ask that you do not tell anyone if you are unsatisfied, this is how I make my living." I cocked my head at that thoughtfully.

"But you don't ask for any payment? How could you make your living off this if you don't accept money?" Aunt Wu smiled.

"I'll keep that as my secret for now. However do you wish to start?" I nodded. Curiosity was biting at me to find out everything I could.

"You recently got into a fight with the water tribe girl or the two of you are currently at odds with each other. You have recently undergone some major change, and your way of life has changed dramatically. You are learned and intelligent, so you came from a family with some money and lived a life of comfort until the change occurred. I couldn't tell you exactly what happened, but I suspect that you met up with the water tribe siblings shortly after this event. You have been trained to fight with a bow and know at least one style of fighting where you can protect yourself without a weapon as well. You are not a bender, and I suspect that you originally came from one of the fire nation colonies. Perhaps the anger your girl companion holds is because you kept your origin a secret from them?" I shivered. Quickly I drew my attention to the mistakes she had made, keeping them in my memory, so I didn't fall into the same trap so many people did. Then she grabbed my hand, flipping it over. She glanced at it before turning dramatically pale.

"And you seem to be involved with the spirits in some manner," she added before looking up at me.

"You have set yourself to achieve a task that is impossible and your attempts to reach it will only lead to more pain for yourself in the long run," I paled and stood, without saying a word I walked out of the woman's room. My heart was racing.

I walked right past Aang, Katara, and Sokka and out into the street. My hands were shaking. How could she have known? She.... she couldn't have known that I was involved with spirits. That was impossible. She was just a regular old woman....

Right?

* * *

 

"Well now you can see that fortune telling is all a big hoax." Sokka exclaimed as we walked out of Aunt Wu's place.

"You're just saying that since you're going to make yourself miserable your whole life," Katara replied with a sneaky smile.

"That's not true my life is going to be peaceful and happy-"

"Don't kick that rock," I warned while walking by. Sokka stopped, looked at the rock he had been about to kick and quickly moved away. Katara glared at me. What was her problem anyway? Katara and Aang wandered off talking about Aunt Wu's prediction while Sokka stayed behind with me.

"I'm sorry." I turned to Sokka incredulous.

"For what?"

"I told you to give Katara a chance. I thought she would believe you. After everything that has happened to us. Normally I'm the one who has to have everything proved to him time and time again."

"That and the guy with the boomerang." I teased with a smile, purposefully avoiding the subject he was trying to bring up. It worked. Sokka's face became dreamy as he agreed.

"Yeah, that too." I chuckled. One of the things about Sokka was that it was easy to stroke his ego, and yet he never seemed to become ridiculously full of himself. Then again he always seemed to be the butt of many a joke. That might have had something to do with it.

We walked into the main square, following Katara and Aang only to discover Aunt Wu reading the clouds. I sighed and turned away as Sokka began arguing with a man about how ridiculous he sounded. I decided to ignore everything and find somewhere that I could meditate. Although, I had failed to meditate correctly every single time I still had been able to contact the spirits. Maybe it was because they always seemed to come to me, not the other way around.

* * *

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to a painfully loud bang. I shot upright and stuck my head out of the window. A pillar of smoke spewed from the open mouth of the volcano. I didn't even stop to think I took off and ran down to the square where Katara, Sokka, and Aang were debating with the people.

"And I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears." The man who had been attacked by the platypus-bear retorted. I wasn't going to waste any time. Things were looking bad.

"Katara, Aang come here, Sokka get Aunt Wu." I snapped. I remembered this part of the episode very well because my family and I had always laughed at how ridiculous the sign for volcanic doom was. Sokka took off, and Katara and Aang approached me.

"We have to make the cloud sign for volcanic doom." I told them quickly, "climb on Appa and bend the clouds they're made out of air and water so you should be fine. You need to make a cloud that is shaped like a skull." I told them quickly and quietly so that the villagers couldn't hear us. Aang and Katara both nodded, neither was going to argue when there was a village on the line.

"That's that the legend of your world says?" I nodded sharply, and Aang took off, followed a little more slowly by Katara.

I stood waiting and watching as the clouds changed before my eyes. What had once been a big fluffy cloud with no distinctive shape was changing, becoming more sinister.

"Aunt Wu, look." I heard Aunt Wu's cry of surprise and smirked. This was going great. Another explosion from the volcano wracked the town, and I realized that I shouldn't count my blessings yet. There was still a lot that could happen, and there was a lot that could go wrong. I joined the people as Sokka organized us, Earthbenders joining in with non-benders to build a trench around the town.

The heat was building, and small tremors shook the ground as we furiously began digging and bending. The benders were clearing significantly more than us with shovels. Still, I furiously toiled on.

Half an hour later it felt like night had fallen. Thick clouds of smoke filled the sky, and gentle flakes of ash fell like snow. A promise of silent death. I didn't stop my work despite the fact my hands were breaking out into blisters from the rough wood of the shovel's handle, and I was drenched in sweat. Another explosion wracked the area, strong enough to knock me and many other villagers off their feet. Sokka shouted an order again, demanding that everyone get out of there as fast as they could. No one even waited to hear the end of his cries. We all scrambled into town. I stopped as soon as Sokka did, breathing hard I leaned against the side of a building. Sokka and Katara were likewise affected. Only Aang didn't seem bothered by the work we had put out. I had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with his airbending though I had little proof. One day I would have to ask him the full extent of his abilities.

"That isn't good," Sokka muttered as lava poured down the mountainside in rivulets and then waves. It seemed like the entire mountain was being drenched with molten rock and ash. I didn't even have time to take fully in the lava overflowing the trench we had made before Aang was changing it, turning it into solid stone. I gaped in awe. There were no words to describe the wave of cold air that hit the tsunami of lava and turned it into rock. One second the lava was raw and burning, ready to consume the entire town, the next it was a giant barrier, protecting the very place it had been about to attack itself. I couldn't help but build the analogy in my head it was an incredible sight.

For the next few hours, ash rained from the sky along with the occasional pumice stone, light, airy rocks that would float on water. I pocketed a few of them, thinking they might be useful sometime in the future before joining the rest of the village in cleaning the streets.

By the time the volcano had calmed and the streets had been clean it was nearly night, the stars were unable to be seen as the heavy layer of smoke covered them like a veil. Aunt Wu offered us a place to stay in her house, and we accepted in an instant. I was feeling filthy and gross, as was everyone else.

"I have made up a bath for you," Aunt Wu told us with a small smile, "I believe Maddi will have some questions for me." Katara left quickly, looking both tired and excited at the idea of a bath. As was I but Aunt Wu was right I had questions, and I wanted answers. As soon as Aang and Sokka had left, I turned to the elderly woman.

"How?" I asked weakly. She gave me a small smile.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that question, Maddison, I must keep my secrets,"

"Am I going to fail?" Part of me hated myself for asking her this, but I had to know if I should give up before I did anything. Aunt Wu sighed.

"Dear, I want you to think of the fortune telling I gave you, you'll figure it out if you think," She turned to leave. I bit my lip then called out for her.

"Why did you tell the villagers those ridiculous fortunes?" Aunt Wu raised an eyebrow at me in curiosity.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be more precise Madison."

"Okay, why did you tell one guy that he was going to find his true love when he wore red shoes? Why did you tell someone that they should never have a bath? Why did you tell Meng that she would marry a guy with big ears? And why a rare flower? How did you know he was going to give her a panda lily?" Aunt Wu laughed.

"One day you will have to accept that there are some mysteries that you will never have the answers to," she told me with soft eyes before turning around and walking away, leaving me standing there, wondering what to do.

"Maddi if you want a bath go now before Sokka tries to steal it." I turned to see Katara peering down from the stairs. I nodded and quickly scurried up.

The water was warm still when I sunk into the bathwater Katara had used previously. It seemed like it was a long time ago that I had been able just to turn on a tap and have hot water. The amount of effort it took to get a single metal tub filled with hot water meant that to have to refill the tub for each bath was a dream. Back at the south pole, I had shared a single tub with at least ten other women. Each of us was expected to get washed and out in about five minutes so that the next person could go. The washing was organized by age the youngest always had to go first and the eldest last. This meant that there were only about three people who went before Katara, and I went after her. Here, though, with only four of us I got to use water that had only been used by one person previously. It was almost a luxury. Still, I was quick. I used the soap which was scented with lavender (now that was a luxury) and scrubbed my body thoroughly with an old rag. The soap I used for my body was also used on my hair and face. Afterward, I felt raw but clean, a feeling I had come to expect. It was refreshing. I dried myself as best I could in the fabric I had been given then changed into my water tribe clothing which was clean and shouted for Aang. For some reason Aang insisted that Katara and I both go before him for the bathing routine, once again it was something that the monks did that Aang was reliving. I didn't question it. Still, it was on the list of questions I wanted to ask Aang about. Somehow, though, I doubted that I would ever learn the answers.

My mind wandered to Aunt Wu and her confusing words. Think about what she had said about my fortune....

Then I realized she hadn't said a single word about the future in my reading other than the last sentence. It was all facts about who I was, not what I would be or what would happen to me.

The problem was that she still knew more than she should have and she had answered Katara's questions about the future well.

I gave it up as I stepped out of the tub, perhaps Aunt Wu was right, there were some mysteries in life that I wouldn't ever be able to answer.

That night I lay in my sleeping bag and stared up at the wooden ceiling and mentally counted off the episodes until what I knew of the first season was complete. There was Bato, The Northern Airtemple and then we would be in the North Pole. Two weeks were left before we were expected to be there. Two weeks until I faced the season finale. Things had seemed so slow at the beginning I would have never known that it would be this soon that I would face such a huge decision. A decision I wasn't sure I was ready for. I still had so many questions that were going unanswered I still had so much I wanted to learn, and I only had two weeks left. The clock was ticking, and I was trying in vain to imagine that it had stopped.


	19. When to Trust is Broken

I had no idea how to approach the situation that I knew was soon to arrive with Bato. While he had been a minor character in the story in Katara and Sokka's life he was far more important. Bato, as second in command to Hadoka, would have been like an uncle to the water tribe siblings. Someone who they would inexplicably trust. But to me, he was a stranger. In some ways it was a refreshing thought, in others, it was terrifying. I didn't know enough about Bato to know if he would accept me as one of the water tribe as everyone else had. I didn't know how he would react to where I had come to be in Katara and Sokka's life. Most of all, I didn't know how he would respond to my knowledge of his and Hadoka's exploits (I had heard the story of the blubber fiasco several times, and it was funny). The thought of meeting someone who was so close to those I held dear was daunting. Katara, Sokka, and Aang were the only people I had left, they were my family, even when they were angry or shunning me as Katara had continued to do. I had little doubt in my mind that Katara wasn't going to move on. She believed me she had to otherwise than wouldn't have listened to me back at Aunt Wu's village but for some reason, she was angry at me. I suspected that it was because I not only knew their future but I was insisting upon keeping much of it a secret. Then again no one had asked me if they won the war or how to defeat the fire lord. I wasn't surprised. Right now our goal was to find a waterbending teacher for Aang. Defeating the Fire Lord wasn't going to happen for a long time. Or so it seemed to them.

After a moment, I realized that the lesson Aang would learn from this was too important. When things got rough, he needed to know that we would never leave him. That lesson could not be skipped over or just spoken. He would have to learn it the hard way. My heart ached at the anger he would feel for me, he might even shun me for it. I decided though that I could deal with it if it were what was needed. For the first time in a long time, I looked back and thought about my family. My sadness of losing them had subsided to nothing. Telling my story had lessened my burden and allowed me to move on. I had never realized just how much freer I would feel by telling the truth as hard as it had been at the time.

The day for meeting Bato arrived sooner than I had expected. Aang had agreed to look for some food for us scavenging was a skill that boy knew well.

"Hey check this out!" I turned from where I had been picking at bushes, looking for edible berries to see Aang holding a curved sword. I didn't recognize the weapon as Sokka didn't own one, however looking at Sokka's reverence when he picked it up, he did.

"It's a watertribe weapon." He stated, taking a careful eye to it, "See if you can find something else." I quickly abandoned the search for food and began looking about for evidence of watertribe (or fire nation) passing through. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there was ash on some trees and some patches of grass had been burnt and then worn away into dust. Sokka found the next weapon, the tip of a watertribe arrow.

"Did someone lose something?" Katara asked, wandering down from where she had been digging for edible roots. Despite the fact that Katara had been raised in the water tribe she seemed able to pick up skills wherever she went.

"There was a battle," Sokka explained holding up the weapons and indicating the scorch marks I had noticed, "Watertribe warriors ambushed a group of fire nation soldiers," Sokka explained.

"The water tribe warriors pursued as the fire nation was forced to retreat, they went down this way..." Sokka took off in the direction he had been pointing, forcing the rest of us to run behind him. I didn't mind it was incredible to see what a good tracker Sokka was. My memory flashed back to the day he had brought in a caribou of some sort for the tribe. Everyone was pleased and surprised. I had been in particular happy since I had just recently tasted my first sea-prunes and while I had liked it because of how hungry were had been, I had no doubt that this would taste good no matter what. Still, I had grown accustomed to the meal overtime. As we ran out onto a sandy bank, Aang spoke.

"So what happened next?"

"I don't know." Sokka muttered I could see the disappointment on him, "the water washed any tracks away."

"Not quite," I stated lightly, touching Sokka's shoulder and pointing. Suddenly energy coursed through my friends as they ran up to the boat. I couldn't help but admit I was curious about how it was made. Coming up I noticed that the bottom was painted over with tar. The sides were wood. I wasn't sure where the water tribe would even get enough wood for a single boat like this let alone a fleet. The edgings of the ship were made out of carved bone with intricate designs and patterns on it. The ship itself, not including the mast was only seven feet high, smaller than even Zuko's ship which had been dwarfed by the other ships that the fire nation had. For once it occurred to me just how hopeless this war looked. I wondered how many men the southern watertribe had lost in the two or more years they had been gone.

"Is this dad's ship?" Katara asked both with excitement and worry. Excitement because if it were her father's ship then he would be nearby, worry because that meant that he might be injured or even dead.

"No, but it's one of his After all," Sokka explained. I didn't know how he knew that, but I didn't question it as a sudden sad look passed over him.

"It's almost dinner, let's rest here for the night," I suggested lightly. Sokka nodded.

We made out camp several feet away from the boat. Just in case high tide was higher than we suspected. Sokka figured by the way the boat was stranded that the tide wouldn't go high enough to pull it out to sea. However, at least three feet of water could come up before the ship would feel the inclination to move. We set up a good sized fire, both to keep the chill of the seaside away and to give us a safe distance of sight. We were slightly worried that with a battle occurring nearby, even if it was a few days old at least like Sokka thought, there might be fire nation soldiers nearby. Katara and Aang went to sleep against Appa. We had been sleeping close to him lately as the bison somehow had some greenhouse effect the closer you came to his body. Even Aang, who had told me that he used his bending to keep himself warm, was sleeping on the giant bison.

I woke up in the middle of the night and sat up. Sokka was poking the fire, a grave expression on his face as he gazed into the flames. I knew that expression, whatever Sokka was seeing wasn't the fire. I sat up and slipped away, taking a seat beside him.

"Do you know what happened with the battle?" He asked, not even bothering to lift his gaze from the blaze.

"A little," I answered slowly, "they didn't go into it too much."

"How much do you know?"

"No more then you will have one day, probably less. My knowledge isn't perfect. There are a lot of things I don't know." I took my turn at staring into the fire.

"I worry about them, all the time." He told me, "I don't usually tell anyone, but I'm scared. I'm afraid that my dad is gone, and I'll never see him again I'm scared that this mission might fail, and we might lose this war, and I'm scared..." he trailed off and then looked at me, "that there will be nothing I can do about it. That I'll lose everything, and I would have done nothing." I didn't even question myself, I spun and pulled him into a tight hug.

"That won't happen, even without me that didn't happen. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that as few people are hurt as I can manage." Sokka smiled in a pained way so I told him the only thing I could think of that would ease his mind.

"You're dad's okay. He's alive and thriving and by the end of spring you should have met him again." I told him. Sokka looked up at me, then smiled.

"Thank you." I nodded then told him something that I had been thinking of.

"I don't know if I'll be able to tell you guys everything I know, I'm scared too, scared that someone would act on my knowledge and that I'll be wrong or that... they'll do something rash that no one can fix. I'm scared that it would throw the world into chaos." Sokka nodded and leaned into me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and behind my back. After a second I did the same as we shared in each other's warmth. We stayed that way for a little while, just comforting each other before I added something else.

"I don't think Katara's ever going to forgive me."

"Sokka?" A new voice asked.

I jumped, suddenly aware of the fact that we were no longer alone. My fan was halfway out when I realized that the person behind us was dressed in blue and wearing bandages. I didn't even need to see his face to know who it was.

"Bato?" Sokka asked, his voice raising in surprise as Bato stepped into the light. I righted myself and quickly took in his appearance. Bato was almost if not six feet tall. He was muscular with the typical water tribe complexion and unlike Sokka, Aang, Katara and I, he had the true Asian eyes.

"Bato?" Katara asked, looking up and rubbing her eyes from where she had been disturbed.

"Who the what now?" Aang muttered as he sat up.

"Sokka, Katara." The two watertribe siblings both sprang up from where they were sitting (or laying in Katara's case) and ran to hug Bato.

"Look at how much you've grown," Bato stated with a warm smile.

"Is dad here?" Katara blurted out, blue eyes wide and excited. Bato shook his head.

"No, he and the others should be halfway across the earth kingdom by now." Bato looked up, and his eyes landed on Aang and I. I could see the confusion in them.

"Bato," Sokka spoke, noticing the look, "This is our sister Palartok and our friend Aang." I froze and looked at Sokka, mouth wide in shock. Had he just called me his sister? Bato looked me up and down then stepped away.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both, but come, this is not the place for exchanging greetings. I'll help you pack," he smiled and turned back to look at Sokka, "and you'll tell me your story while we're at it."

While we packed up, Sokka told Bato their story, starting from when they met me. I had been nervous about what Sokka would say, I shouldn't have worried. Sokka was quick to tell Bato that an earth kingdom ship was sunk which allowed me to relax some. I half-listened as Sokka told Bato our tale in intricate detail. Somehow he was able to complete the telling by the time our camp had been taken down. I stayed quiet and listened as Bato began telling us his story. The change of stories was so seamless I almost didn't realize when Bato started speaking.

"We discovered that the nun's of a nearby abbey were being bothered by a band of fire nation soldiers," Bato stated as we began walking back, "we decided to free the abbey. We ambushed the soldiers but during the battle one of the soldiers managed to get a direct blow to my shoulder," Bato gestured at the bandages he had wrapped around his right arm and his chest.

"I was severely burned, your father found me on the battlefield and carried me to the Abbey himself. There the nun's took care of me. Unfortunately, the mission couldn't be stopped for one man the other warriors had to leave me behind." Katara and Sokka were walking side by side with Bato while Aang and I held the rear, Appa a few steps behind us. Momo landed on Aang's shoulder briefly before he flew away again.

"How many..." Sokka stumbled, his voice lowered forcing me to strain at my hearing to catch what was being said.

"Two besides me. This was our first battle where we lost anyone," Bato replied in an equally soft voice, "It was by sheer luck and the blessings of the spirits that allowed me to survive." I realized with a heavy heart that two watertribe men had been lost on this mission alone. I wondered how many had passed since they had left Bato here. As if sensing my question Bato spoke again.

"I've been here for nearly a month now, but I'm glad that I was able to meet you, even if the circumstances leading to it were less than ideal." I chuckled lightly. Looking around my surroundings, I suddenly recognized a stone wall and several green tiled roofs. It was the abbey. I allowed my eyes to wander around. About fifteen nuns walked around, finishing the last of the jobs before they would turn in for the night. All the sisters were dressed in white and cream, the opposite of nun's in my world who typically wore black. I lifted my nose and breathed deeply. Strong flowery scents filled the area. I recognized a few from back home, aloe, rose, lavender, along with those that were completely foreign to me.

"Superior," Bato called his voice carried out over the abbey, across the cobbled courtyard and bouncing against the buildings. An elderly woman, dressed similarly to the rest of the nuns with only a slightly more decorative headpiece to mark her as higher, turned and smiled lightly.

"These are it comfortably children," he gestured to Sokka and Katara, "and their companions." I nodded formally to the woman, unsure of how to act among the mother superior of this nunnery. Aang bowed formally before smiling.

"Welcome," the mother superior stated elegantly, "it is a pleasure to meet Hadoka's children, and welcome young Avatar." Aang beamed. Finally, he was getting some attention.

"Hi, it is an honor to be here. If-"

"What smells so good Bato?" Sokka asked, taking his own smell of the area. I already knew why it smelled so amazing here. This nunnery made perfume and cream, although the reason alluded me. Why would a nun make something that was so expensive? Did the proceeds go to some charity? I doubted that they gave them out to just anyone the making of perfumes and creams was a big job, and it took a long time. Even small ointments for healing that Kanna used or creams like Katara's seaweed hand cream took days to finish, not to mention gathering or buying the materials. I couldn't imagine the amount of work that went into something as high quality as what I assumed the nuns made.

"Well maybe we should pour some on Appa, you know 'cause he stinks so bad." I winced. Appa stunk no more than a horse or any other animal. The joke made no sense. Everyone just stared at Sokka blankly, wondering what on earth he was trying to do. I had heard some of Sokka's jokes he had some good ones every once in a while. That one didn't even qualify as a bad joke.

"You have your father's wit," Bato stated deadpan. I giggled, causing Sokka to send me a glare. Shaking his head Bato gestured at us.

"Come, you can sleep with me tonight." We followed him to one of the houses, apparently meant to be a guest's place. It had the usual sliding door and was only a single room. Still, it was a good deal more spacious than anything they had back in the watertribe, seven or eight people could sleep in it comfortably. That made me think and look back. If I were back at home, this place would could as a good sized bedroom for one person or a small cabin for four while camping. Here, though, this cabin could hold up to ten men without being squished.

Bato had found a use for that extra room. The floor had three pelts laid across it, along with at least one hanging on the wall. In the back, he had pitched a tent made from animal hide and in the center he had a pot of stew simmering on a small fire. The fire itself was placed in a pit in the middle of the floor so that the fire wouldn't burn it down. The sides of the pit and a small area around it were laid with stone to keep any sparks that might fly from spreading.

"It looks just like home." Katara gasped, quickly running inside to inspect the place. Sokka charged in after her while Bato followed behind, shaking his head with a knowing smile. When I stepped in the first thing I felt was a wave of comfort. I liked the feeling that I was getting from this place, it reminded me of the watertribe.

Bato took a seat behind the pot and pulled out several wooden bowls and spoons while Katara took off the lid to the pot.

"No way, stewed sea-prunes?" I sighed and sat down, leaning back. I wasn't hungry right now, and I was good with going another few months before I had to eat another sea-prune. While it tasted amazing when there was nothing else, I wasn't sure whether I would be able to eat it. I leaned against the wall and listened. Katara and Sokka chatted with Bato, reminiscing about old times, times that I had never been apart of. I didn't mind so much I was happy that they could have moments like this.

I was woken up with a hand on my shoulder. Blinking I sat up, wincing from the strain in my neck.

"How long was I out?" I asked, wincing as I rubbed the sore muscle.

"All night," Sokka replied with a smile, "we couldn't even wake you to get into your sleeping bag." I groaned and stood, stretching dramatically. My back cracked several times, causing both Sokka and me to wince. Sokka smiled and then started to walk out of the cabin when I interrupted him.

"So do you want to spar before or after breakfast?"

* * *

We ended up sparing after breakfast, and afterward, Bato invited us to come down to the boat again. Of course, we accepted and followed him back down the to the beach. The water lapped at the tar painted bottom of the ship as we approached.

"This boat is very precious to me," Bato explained as we came up to it, "it was built by my father."

"Is this the boat you went ice dodging in?" Sokka asked excitedly.

"Yep, it even has the scar," Bato gestured at a part of the boat that was thickly covered with tar, probably to reinforce the repaired spot, I figured. Bato turned to Sokka with a grin.

"How about you Sokka? You probably have some great stories about your time ice dodging." It fell silent.

"He didn't get to go," Katara pointed out, "he was still thirteen." Bato's face became serious.

"What's Ice dodging?" Aang asked. I smiled softly. Ice dodging was an important part of the culture it marked the passage into manhood. For Sokka to have missed it must have left an emotional void. He was expected to become a man at thirteen and yet never had the chance to prove that he was worthy of being one. I couldn't imagine what that was like.

"You know what, you're going to find out," Bato replied to Aang's question.

Bato helped each of us onto the boat. He clambered on last. His way of pushing the boat off involved a long rod when he tried to push against the ground he winced. I quickly grabbed it from his hands.

"Don't hurt yourself," I warned, "the last thing you want is to cause more injury." Bato frowned but then nodded.

"Hey Katara, Aang, give me a hand with this," I called, grabbing the pole. The two came over, Aang beaming excitedly and Katara narrowing her eyes.

"I need your guys' help," I admitted, "while I push the boat out with this pole, some waterbending would be nice," Aang grinned.

"Sure! I'd love to help, all about helping!" I frowned, that behavior was unusually perky, even for Aang. Then I remembered the map. Aang had it I had missed him returning (and possibly leaving) last night by falling asleep and instead of seeking him out and talking to him about it I had mock battled with Sokka. Katara just sighed.

We got the boat out with no trouble, and soon enough we were in our places for ice dodging, or in this case, rock dodging. I was both terrified and excited. This was a new experience, and it was one I couldn't wait to see. I had always been impressed by the ice dodging in the episode. Just like in the story Sokka was put at the tiller, Katara at one sail and Aang at the other. That left me and Bato left. Bato of course, being an adult couldn't participate, but I was a fourth, an odd one out. I wasn't needed in this test. However, to my surprise, Bato called me up.

"Occasionally we have one or two too many boys for it to be an even three to a boat," he stated calmly, "and instead of forcing them to wait until next year or have someone who has already proven themselves go a second time we have another station." I stared at Bato in surprise. It made sense, but what sort of job was it. Both sails were controlled and as was the boat itself. What else was there?

It turned out that Bato had me set up as the metaphorical GPS for my companions. It would be my job to call out to Sokka the positions and sizes of the rocks. I had to be quick, give all the information to Sokka as he needed it so he could make the decisions. The job was perfect for me. I quickly stationed myself at the front of the ship, the prow if I was correct and instantly began calling out, telling them where the rocks were, left or right (port or starboard) and how close. Sokka in response shouted to Aang and Katara what to do while adjusting the tiller. It was hard work, my eyes were darting everywhere, Sokka was covered with sweat, Katara was gripping the rope with a determined look in her eyes and Aang was completely lost as to what direction he was supposed to go. Despite that, we somehow made it through. Sokka even pulled out the bending stunt which had scared Bato and me to no end.

Once we landed, with help from Katara and Aang once again, Bato pulled out a small pot of blue paint and marked our foreheads. Sokka, the mark of the wise, Katara the mark of the brave, Aang the mark of the trusted and then it was my turn.

"You can't trust me." Or maybe not. I turned to see Aang wiping the paint away with his hand. Shoot.

"Of course, we can Aang," Katara stated, looking confused. After all, Why couldn't we trust Aang?

"No you can't," Aang repeated before he held out the scrunched up piece of paper. My heart stopped.

"A messenger gave this to me from Bato." All hell broke lose. The second Sokka realized it was the map to his and Katara's father he began shouting at Aang, furious that the young Airbender would betray us. Katara was quiet, then her glance turned to me, and her eyes became steely.

"You knew." She mouthed at me. I looked away.

"Katara, Pala are you with me?" Katara turned, but I didn't. Sokka looked at me in surprise, nodded then walked off, Katara and Bato in tow. As soon as they were out of earshot Aang turned to me, his face furious.

"Why didn't you tell me!" He cried. I filched away, startled and upset by his anger.

"You could have warned me that keeping it was a bad idea! You know our future so why didn't you tell me?" He snarled. I had never seen Aang look so terrifying, even back when he went into the Avatar state, it had been more sad than angry. I spun and took off running, into the woods in the opposite direction.

I stopped in a clearing and in fury screamed, kicking a small tree hard enough that it shook. I felt pain lance up my foot, but I didn't care. Aang was right I had betrayed their trust. I should have told Aang that keeping the scroll would have been bad. Instead, I had wasted my time worrying about what Bato would think of me.

"It's a pity that you don't have anything that can make you useful, all you have is knowing the future... and reading. Do you regret that choice now." My heart stopped. My eyes widened in shock, and I slowly turned to see a familiar spirit of air standing before me.

"Lung."


	20. Tornado

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's a pity that you don't have anything that can make you useful, all you have is knowing the future... and reading. Do you regret that choice now?" My heart stopped. My eyes widened in shock, and I slowly turned to see a familiar spirit of air standing before me.
> 
> "Lung."

The deity of air smirked at me, his robes swirling into a white mist that spread around the clearing.

"It is a hard path you face," he stated, gray eyes shining, "knowing the future, your life will be full of so much pain."

"What do you want Lung?" I snapped. I wasn't in the mood to deal with the manipulative deity.

"I wish to give you a second chance you don't understand how important bending is, and you were trapped between three impossible choices. I don't blame you, but now you can choose what you want" he paused and gave me a pitying look. It was the sort of look you give to a dying person or a puppy who someone just kicked.

"I'll give you airbending."

"I thought the deal was a one-time thing. Besides, don't the other deities need to agree?" I pointed out. Despite the ache in my heart, I clung to my logic. Lung snorted and swept up close to me.

"We never truly get along, it always comes down a vote over the majority agreeing, well the minority deserves a say as well."

"I think for you to count as a true minority you need more than one person." I didn't flinch or move away. I wasn't going to back down. Lung shrugged in reply, not seeming to care.

"Yes, well, the truth is that my people are a minority, how am I supposed to repopulate an entire nation with one child? One who is destined to marry a waterbender? I need more than one person." I frowned. I may not have known a lot about Legend of Korra but hadn't there been two air benders born from Aang? Besides wasn't there a lot of airbenders later in the series. I couldn't remember.

"Give yourself a generation or two and you'll have a lot more." I stated as I turned away, "you don't need me to be an airbender, it's more trouble than you want." In a rush of air, Lung stood in front of me again.

"I need an Airbender who knows of my existence." He snarled. There was something feral in his eyes. My instincts shouted to run, to escape. For once I listened and took off running in the opposite direction. Lung appeared in front of me again, but I didn't stop. I right through him. For a brief second, I blacked out.

_I stood on a tall hill my head lifted high. Pride pulsed through me, giving me strength and power, more than I had ever known. Below me, an army of men stood shaking at my feet. I could flick my hand, and they would be little more than dust. I smirked, using the sword was more fun, I would be able to feel their death coming._

_"To me!" I shouted, my voice amplified so that everyone in the valley heard it ring, my heart raced, "to me! My empire!" Behind me, my warriors screamed, already prepared for triumph. Energy and excitement rushed through me as we charged._

_The battle was an expression of beauty I had never experienced before. To be living flesh and bone instead of spirit was thrilling and addicting. I never wished to stop breathing. Breath, what gave humans their life and without me, breath and life would cease. I was the sole reason life existed. My people were the only nation who deserved to live._

_"Lung, this has gone far enough." I turned, a thrill of excitement coursed through me. The other elementals stood behind me not one looked happy. Agni looked furious her hair blazed brilliantly. Heat radiated from her form. Tui and La had even stopped their eternal love-hate relationship for one to send identical glares at me. I turned slightly. To my left was Prithvi. My brother was glaring at me, but there was also disappointment in his eyes._

_"Come, brother," he stated, his voice, gravely as a mountain, "you've had your fun, it is time to return to our world." My joy turned to anger as heat rushed over me, which only strengthened my determination. I would never return to the spirit world, never._

_"No. Join me," I persuaded, "you do not know what it is like to live. To feel a heart, for food to taste, to breathe or feel the warmth of fire! It is the most beautiful thing. Compared to the humans our lives are empty husks. I might as well have never felt anything before, and you just want me to return to you? Just like that?" Both fear and anger were courting with me. Emotions, to feel emotions was the greatest blessing being human had brought me. Prithvi, however, looked wary._

_"Brother, you do not know what you're saying. You can only be human for so long, once this form is dead that will be the end."_

_"Not if I become like_ Raavaa _!" I cried excitedly, "Just think spirits and humans living like one!"_

 _"He's gone insane," La muttered, "humans cannot live with spirits inside them." She turned to me, black eyes drawing all light to them, "And_ Raavaa _was different Lung, she had no choice. If it were to happen again, she would not have been so foolish." My fear had lost, overpowering and infuriating anger was all I had left, and I embraced the emotion letting it guide my body, take control of my being._

 _"I'll show you I'll show you all!" I turned, to come face to face with a man. He was in his fifties and covered in wrinkles.  My anger was still too great to be replaced by fear, even though I knew him. This man was the one whom_ Raavaa _had joined this man was the one called the avatar._

I gasped and stumbled away as my consciousness split away from Lung, leaving me dizzy and weak. Lung himself didn't look any better. We stared at each other in horror. I couldn't wrap my mind around what I had just seen. I decided that I didn't want to see Lung after he recovered. I ran in the direction of the Abbey, my heart pounding.

The doors of the abbey were closed, but I could care less at the moment. I pounded the door hard with my hand, not caring about how it smarted. I stopped. Why was I acting like I was a scared little girl? I shook my head violently to knock some sense into myself.

"Calm down Maddi you're acting like an idiot," I muttered to myself, breathing in deeply.

"An idiot and a coward," I added as an afterthought. So what if Lung had scared me? There were going to be a lot of scary things on this journey, and my knowledge wouldn't cover them all. One day I would be scared, but my friends would depend on me. I needed to be able to do what needed to be done for them, no matter how scared I was.

I took a deep breath and stepped away from the door as it opened.

"Hello?" One of the nuns asked. When she saw me, she smiled.

"Ah, you're back, where are your friends?" I didn't even have a chance to answer. As I opened my mouth, there was a loud screech behind me and a huge, brown animal bounded right over my head. It landed in the courtyard of the nunnery and snarled. My heart froze. On the animal's back was Zuko, Iroh, and a girl dressed in dark clothes which had to be June, the shirshu's master.

The nuns went into a panic, running around and screaming. They were ignored, I wasn't. Zuko's yellow eyes lit upon me, and a triumphant expression crossed his face. I groaned, finally understanding why the Chinese called it a curse to live in interesting times.

* * *

Shirshu venom was not pleasant, nor relaxing, no matter what people said. My entire body felt like it had been put under the same numbing agent dentists used, so I felt fat and tingly. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, and I never wanted to experience it again. Upon seeing me, Zuko had demanded that I tell him where Aang was. I refused and now I was in this position.

"I hate you," I mumbled into Nayla's fur as the giant creature carelessly bounced over a log, jostling and almost knocking me off. I hated feeling useless and this about as useless as a person could feel in my opinion.

"Pala?" Crap, this day was just getting worse by the minute. I groaned against the animal's fur. There was more conversation, but I ignored it. My face turned a rich crimson in embarrassment over my position. This was not my day.

I heard Sokka and Katara speaking, both sounding unsure and a little overwhelmed. I couldn't quite make out their words.

"Where's the Avatar?" That was Zuko. Anger leaped through me. I was angry about acting like a coward I was angry at Zuko. I was angry with my situation. Most of all I was angry with Lung. I couldn't understand what had happened that had caused me to see that vision (which I suspected was some moment in his past) and I didn't know how a spirit was supposed to have become human. If I could have moved, I would have shaken my head in disgust.

"RUN!" I started in shock as Sokka shouted. Nayla spun around so quickly I nearly went flying off. It was only because of a hand that grabbed the back of my shirt that I didn't fall off.

"Are you alright there?" The soft voice of Iroh asked me. I grunted in reply. As angry and confused as I was I just couldn't be angry at Iroh, he was too good of a guy to get mad at.

Sokka and Katara were loaded on beside me. Nayla was given Aang's scent off the scroll. Just like that, we were off again.

* * *

The nuns scattered like hens at the sight of Nayla. Not that I blamed them, three humans hanging off the back of some animal like rabbits on a hunters stick was guaranteed to be alarming. Nayla moved around in circles, pacing. I didn't blame the creature for being confused, Aang's scent was just circling around above it.

It happened suddenly. Nayla reared up, Sokka, Katara and I fell off her back, not that we noticed besides the sight, our bodies were completely numb. I was aware of nuns dragging the water tribe siblings and I out of the way to lean against a wall. I grimaced. I hated being useless. Watching Zuko fighting Aang was antagonizing. I wanted to leap to Aang's aid but for now, there was only one thing I could do. When I had first been struck, I hadn't been able to even move my tongue. After five minutes I could. Fifteen minutes later I could speak freely.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Sokka asked. I could see his face muscles twitching as he tried to fight off the venom.

"For not telling you guys about your dad and Bato. Its just..." I fell silent. I knew why I had kept quiet, but I no longer knew if I had made the right choice.

"I can't decide what I can tell you and what I can't. I'm constantly second-guessing myself, and I don't know if anything I say will make a big difference. And if it does, then what? I might ruin your lives because I made a mistake." There was silence from the water tribe siblings. Despite the loud explosions and activity going on around us, the lack of sound was oppressing.

"Even if that did happen, we wouldn't blame you," Sokka stated after a moment of thought, "even if we all died."

"Don't say that!" Katara and I exclaimed in tandem. Katara with a slight lisp from the remainder of the venom in her body. Sokka gave a wry smile.

"Fine, despite the danger that we are in and how we are the primary targets of the fire nation we're going to be just fine, and nothing bad will happen to us."

"Yes." I agreed emphatically before the sarcasm clued in. I felt a blush hit my face like a slap as Katara and Sokka both started at me.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Then why are you here?" Katara asked. I looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"If we are fine by the end of this journey and nothing bad happens, why are you here? Why do you want to change things?"

"Because... because everything isn't all fine and dandy." I admitted, "Yes they could have been a lot worse but in the end, everything turns out okay. I can only think of one character we know who dies and he's minor. I... I just wanted to make things easier on you guys. There is a lot that was very hard, like people who appeared to die but didn't, or mistakes that caused someone to be hurt, or friends who are kidnapped for a short time. I just" I took a deep breath, "I just want you to have a better life, if I can help make your life better then I'll do it. The problem is, I don't know what choices will make your lives better or worse, and it scares me that I have all this power in my hands." The Superior approached quickly, and we fell silent. In seconds she held a sharp smelling perfume under our noses. My body was suddenly all pins and needles as it slowly woke. Sokka stretched.

"We'll talk later," he assured me before turning to Superior.

"That thing sees with its nose lets give it something to see." Everyone understood what Sokka was suggesting. I didn't even pause, running over and grabbing one of the heavy barrels. Within seconds the nuns pushed over three barrels. I was struggling with the one I had. I hadn't considered just how heavy these things would be. To my surprise, Katara came over and helped me teeter the metal container onto its edge. The perfume spilled out, soaking the paving stones. Katara began bending. A wave of perfume was sent everywhere, five or six different scents mixed into an overwhelming wave of scent. Even I found it blinding as Katara washed the wave of scents over the poor animal and everyone else in the courtyard. The Shirshu went wild it screamed in pain as it lost its sight and went on a rampage, hitting several nuns with its tongue along with Zuko and June before it scrambled over the walls to escape. I would have felt sorry for Nayla if I wasn't still angry about being attacked.

Sokka strode back to us with the biggest grin on his face. I chuckled but held myself back. Aang rushed over to Katara's side and quickly apologized to her before turning to Sokka and then to me.

"Maddi, I'm sorry. I was scared and confused, and I took it out on you." I shook my head.

"I don't blame you, knowing someone else knows your future isn't as nice as Aunt Wu portrayed," I admitted, remembering our time among the fortuneteller.

"Besides I think it's time that we decide together on what I should act one and what I shouldn't." I closed my eyes and shifted uncomfortably, "we need to trust each other inexplicably." My friends paused a moment to think it over before nodding.

"I agree, how about we all talk it over on Appa later? Okay?" Sokka suggested. I smiled. I could share my burden with my friends, and I could trust them. No one was perfect, and Aang's anger was understood, what mattered the most was that we would do anything for each other.


	21. Firebender

We sat on Appa in silence deep in thought. It was Aang who spoke first.

"You should tell us if anyone dies." I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Foe or friend? Or would you like both?"

"I'd say, friends," Sokka stated after a moments thought, "you're telling us stuff we want to change right? So if anyone who is or becomes an ally dies you should tell us before time." I nodded. Sokka had a point, we could save Jet that way, he was the only 'good' guy I could remember who died.

"What about if we get lost or trapped?" Katara suggested, "Maddi could tell us the quickest way out of there."

"You're overestimating my knowledge." I told her, "I won't know anything more than you know, less probably. I don't know whether you'll make a right or left turn in a forest. Besides, I think that might be to small. If someone got fatally injured or never made their way back, sure I would tell, but the fact is, every time we get lost we get out sooner or later."

"What about if we lose someone for a long time, would you help us find them?" I bit my lip. Appa, Appa got kidnapped during Wa Shi Tong's library. If I could change that... would that change for the better or worse?

"I might take action for that one I don't think I should tell you directly."

"How about bending masters." I looked up at Aang and frowned deeply.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused. Where was Aang going with this?

"You could tell me who all my bending teachers are right away then we could go and find them. You know who's going to be my water, earth and firebending masters right?" I nodded, then paused as a name hit me. Jong Jong. I had forgotten Jeong Jeong and now that time was coming up fast.

"Yes, I do... I... I don't know if it's a good idea. Some of your masters aren't ready to teach you yet Aang, some of them need time to realize that they aren't your enemy."

"That makes sense," Sokka stated. Katara, Aang and I all turned in surprise, raising our eyebrows in sync.

"What? Think about it, you're going to need a firebending teacher eventually, it might take some time for a master firebender to realize that his nation needs to get some sense knocked into it." I smiled, Sokka knew how to make a tense situation into a light situation. It was one of his charms.

"Still, I don't see why knowing who my bending teachers are is going to hurt any." Aang suggested, "That way the second they're willing we can find them instead of wasting time. Besides that's my firebending teacher, my water, and earthbending teachers should be excited to help me," He turned to me and stopped.

"Aang," I sighed, "you... don't have the easiest time with teachers. You do eventually get all three but it takes time, and it follows the order that you're supposed to learn from." We were silent again for a moment.

"What would you like to change?" Katara asked softly. I turned in surprise to the waterbender as she looked at me solemnly.

"If there was nothing holding you back, what would you change about our future?" I closed my eyes and thought. I would rescue Appa from the sandbenders. I would stop Aang from having to become scared of fire because of Jeong Jeong. I would help Katara learn how to heal using waterbending. I'd knock some sense into Jeong Jeong. I'd save Jet's life. I'd save Yue. I'd get Zuko to join us sooner. I'd stop the firenation from getting the war balloons. I'd get Sokka his space sword and boomerang back. I'd stop Aang from promising Zuko that he would kill him. I'd stop Zuko from listening to his father. and I would make sure that none of my friends would be left behind.

"Now change it." I blinked in shock and returned my gaze to Katara. She gave a small smile and shrugged.

"I'm not upset anymore I still don't like the fact you kept your secret hidden instead of telling us. You could have trusted us more we're your family just as much as Aang. We made that promise on the Southern Air Temple... but you didn't believe it." I smiled then reached over and pulled Katara into a hug. Next second I felt arms wrap around my back as Sokka and Aang joined in from the sides.

"From now on, we are family, and we do everything together. Okay? No more secrets from any of us."

"Okay." I agreed before pausing, "And anyone else who joins our group. They're family too."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

It was time for dinner when we landed Appa began happily munching on some bushes and tall grasses while Momo bounced about, picking up fruit and berries.

While the animals were enjoying themselves, Katara noticed a pillar.

"We can learn about what the town below has from here," Katara explained to me as she began to read the various posters. I ignored most of them, instead walking right up to the one announcing the Fire Festival.

"Come one and all to the great fire festival, parting with autumn and remembering beloved summer. Filled with fire bending demonstrations and fun for the whole family the Fire Festival is a must-see." I chuckled, the similarity to the TV infomercials from home was not lost to me.

"That sounds great, a fire festival! We can go see some real firebending."

"Yeah! That's a great idea!" Sokka pointed out sarcastically "We can see some real firebenders too, including ones who want to kill us! Yay!" I snorted in laughter.

"Think about it Sokka this may be the only time I'll get to see firebenders who aren't trying to kill or capture us," Aang explained, his gray eyes shining excitedly.

"Or we might have an entire horde of firebenders on our tail, especially because you're a wanted man, and all," Sokka said in response. I raised my eyebrow and blinked in surprise as Sokka pulled out the wanted poster of Aang.

"This was on the other side," he explained, "everyone in that town will know what you look like. Look at this, a thousand crowns for the capture of the Avatar!"

"So we wear disguises, I think we should go. What do you think Pala?" I sighed.

"I'm both for it and against it at the same time. Yes, this is the only time Aang will get to see some firebending that's not aimed at one of us for a very long time... but at the same time its stage firebending, none of it is going to draw on the standard techniques or show him how to accomplish it."

"Does anything else happen that we should know about?" Sokka prompted lightly. I groaned, this was going to get annoying, fast.

"Yes and no. Aang and Katara both learn some important things from this trip... but I'd rather it they learn in a different way."

"Well, how about this?" Katara proposed, "We go into town, if you think something is going wrong you can tell us to get out of there right away. If you want us to leave, we'll listen." I paused then nodded my agreement. Sokka sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I just know something bad is going to happen."

* * *

The trip in was surprisingly easy. We managed to sneak dark cloaks off a clothes line, even one that would fit Aang and get in. Upon entering, we were able to get four free masks. Aang got a blue one with a happy face, Sokka a black and brown one with yellow and red highlights and a miserable expression. Katara a feminine one with a surprised expression and I got a green mask that was shaped like The Scream's face. It was a little disturbing but from inside the wooden mask, I didn't have to see it. Still, just for fun, I placed my hands on the sides, just to emasculate the famous painting.

Sokka ran and began picking various foods from vendors and I was able to steer him away from the fire flakes and take one bag myself.

"They're spicy," I warned, picking up one and carefully popping it in my mouth. The amount of spice was ridiculous, and it took a lot of control to keep my eyes from watering. It reminded me of the one time my friends, and I had played roulette with chocolates. We had all pitched in and ordered them via mail. When they arrived, we were thrilled. Twenty bullet shaped chocolates, inside one a ghost pepper. I, unfortunately, was the girl who got the ghost pepper. Just remembering how bad that had been made the fire flake significantly easier to bear.

We wandered through, quite interested in everything that was going on. The fire lord puppet burning a puppet of the earth kingdom soldier was disturbing, to say the least. Then we found ourselves facing the fire nation magician. A flash of fire and five doves flew away. It was incredible, and he was quite good at his act. Still, I was determined to keep my eyes out for someone else, someone I knew was following us.

I paid close attention to the crowd, but I didn't see him anywhere. What was even more infuriating was that I had no recollection of the man's name. I remembered his cartoon appearance and therefore I could base my assumption on what he appeared as in real life.

"Oh! me me me!" Aang called. I sighed and turned. The excited Airbender wanted to be part of the performance. I knew why he wanted to get a close look at the bending forms. Not that I blamed him. Still, the man ignored Aang and pointed to Katara.

"How about you pretty lady." Katara quickly backed up, raising her hands and shaking her head.

"Awe, look at that, she's shy folks." There was laughter and someone pushed Katara up close to the stage. There the magician pulled her up and gently bound her to the chair with a strip of silk.

"You are my captured princess." He spoke, his voice projecting out over the entire crowd. It impressed me how he could make his voice heard even without a mic.

He proceeded to go through the motions of capturing, attempting to tame and the dragon escaping. He turned it towards Katara.

"We got to save her!" Aang yelped. I grabbed his shoulder.

"It's an act." I hissed, "he won't hurt her." Aang calmed somewhat but remained tense. As did I. Luckily I was right. The man last minute created a sword out of the fire and slashed it through the dragon. The dragon vanished in a flood of confetti. The performer let Katara down, thanking her for her cooperation and apologizing if he scared her. He finished by kissing her hand and helping her down from the stage where Aang, Sokka and I grabbed her and hurried away.

"Are you okay Katara?" Aang asked desperately.

"I'm fine Aang," Katara comforted, she was shaking slightly, so I pulled her into a hug. It was a relief that she wasn't angry at me anymore.

"What was supposed to happen?" Sokka asked me curiously.

"Aang jumps on stage, destroys the dragon and the guards recognize him as the avatar. We're chased around the city and rescued by-" I cut myself off as I knew the man who had been following us.

"There he is," I added in a low tone, gesturing with my head in the man's direction. He stood out as he wore no mask and instead had a red bandanna over his mouth and nose.

"Him, who is he?" Aang asked curiously.

"A fire nation runaway, he saw you and wanted to bring you to his master, an admiral who left the fire nation because he disliked what the fire nation had become."

"So I can get him to teach me!" Aang yelled and before I could warn him away zipped over to our stalker.

"He's going to get himself killed one day," I grunted under my breath before following the hyperactive bender along with Sokka and Katara.

"How did you know?" Our stalker asked Aang in shock, "Are you enlightened as Jong Jong?" Aang opened his mouth but stopped himself. Finally shrugging.

"I just knew." I heard the familiar smack of a hand hitting wood and Sokka's yelp of pain, remembering he had a mask on a touch too late. I couldn't help but snigger.

* * *

"I serve a man. More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?" I groaned. Chey, the second runaway from the fire navy was a soldier who had come from one of the fire nation colonies. While he meant well, he had never been educated to do anything other than fight, and I was getting frustrated with him. I wasn't the only one.

"We get it he was highly ranked," Sokka replied in a dull tone as we followed the excited man.

"Yeah! Way up there! But he couldn't take the madness anymore. He's the first person ever to leave the army - and live." Chey turned to look at us and shrugged. "I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay, though. Jeong Jeong's a firebending genius. Some say he's mad - but he's not! He's enlightened."

"I doubt he's enlightened," I stated coldly. I was not a fan of Jong Jong, mostly because of how he took the deeds of the humans and saw those traits in the element itself. He believed that his element was evil when it was merely the ones who wielded it.

"He is too enlightened." Chey replied in a rude manner. I snorted. Great, now we were going to start playing 'is not'.

"I think we should see him," Aang suggested to me, turning with big eyes. I looked down at him and raised my eyebrow.

"No. Jeong Jeong is the wrong man for you Aang."

"He's the perfect person to train the Avatar! That's why I followed you into the festival so I could bring you to him!" Chey replied quickly.

"He may be the right man to teach the Avatar, but he is the wrong man to teach Aang," I replied harshly. Chey recoiled as if shot. Then confusion crossed his face. I could see a similar confusion in the eyes of my companions, but I refused to explain.

We were quiet for a while, still following Chey to Jeong Jeong. Mostly because I knew that we were going to come across people who would stop us from turning around in the first place.

"Don't move!" There they were. Several tribesmen holding long spears pointed at us emerged from the bush.

"This way." The leader insisted. Slowly we began walking again, in single file... in the same direction. I was starting to wonder about the genius who was bringing us straight to Jeong Jeong when we were already going straight to Jeong Jeong.

"Jeong Jeong told you not to look for Avatar." The lead tribesman stated. I sighed and ignored the rest of the talking, except the name of the leader, Lin Ye. Once again I had forgotten the name of a character. Not that it wasn't expected, I couldn't remember the name of every character who was given a name and showed up once. I allowed myself to become completely immersed in my thoughts. The only light came from the large moon that glowed eerily down upon us. It was cold mist rose from the river below adding to the eeriness of the night. I guessed we were probably in mid to late November by now. That caused me to blink as I did the mental calculations. That meant that I was turning eighteen in two to three months. I had been born on February seventeenth, 1995. That realization shocked me to my core. Two to three months and I would turn eighteen. I chuckled as it occurred to me that would place my birthday a little before or after meeting Toph. That made me wonder. I knew that Katara had her birthday just a little before I arrived but when was Sokka's, Aang's, Toph's and Zuko's birthdays? Would they too grow a year older? Did they just not celebrate them, so it wasn't covered in the series? I could understand how Aang and Zuko wouldn't celebrate their birthdays during the journey. Zuko having been banished and to focused on chasing down Aang to care and Aang because he was focused on mastering three bending styles. Besides, he had already missed a hundred birthdays. But what about Sokka? Was he born in an earlier month than Katara, and if so then it would have to be after August or early September so... late September early October perhaps?

"You go. You stay here." I blinked myself out of my thoughts to see Chey vanish down the slopes of the river to a small hut where I knew Jeong Jeong was.

"Pala, help me with the sleeping bags," Sokka called from Appa where he was unloading our stuff.

"Sure." I replied as I walked over, "Why, though?"

"How long are we going to be here?" I shrugged. I honestly didn't know I just knew it was enough time for the companions to fall asleep which wasn't much time at all.

"I have a feeling we might be here for a while." 

* * *

Sokka turned out to be right. I was woken by a cry.

"No, wait." I jolted upright. Sokka was asleep along with Katara. Aang wasn't there, but Chey was.

"Where's Aang?" I asked, scrambling out of my sleeping bag.

"He went to see Jeong Jeong," Chey admitted. I grit my teeth and tore out of the door just in time to see Aang vanish into Jong Jong's reed cabin. I stood there for a second in shock. Hadn't I made it clear to Aang that he would get his teachers in order? That meant he needed to master water and earth. I grunted in frustration and hurried down. I was going to stop this before things came to a head. Then I would help Katara realize she had the ability to heal. As I drew closer to the door of Jeong Jeong's hut, I heard the deserter speak.

"Water is cool and soothing, the earth is steady and stable, but fire. Fire is alive, it lives and breathes. Without the bender, the rock will not throw itself. But without the bender fire will grow and spread and destroy everything in it's path."

"Your right, fire is alive. Your wrong about everything else, though." I stated as I walked in. Jeong Jeong tensed and looked up at me.

"Who are you?"

"My name's Palartok, well in the water tribe. My given name is Madison." I explained.

"You do not appear water tribe... did your water tribe friends give you another name?" Jeong Jeong asked in confusion.

"Why does everyone focus in on my name?" I snapped, "Besides, I didn't come here for a pleasant chat, I came here to take Aang back. We're heading for the Northern Water Tribe in the morning. We should be able to reach it within another four days if we push ourselves." I added, not mentioning the time it would take us to help Teo and his people free themselves from the fire nation's reign.

"Please." Jeong Jeong said sweeping his hands out as if gesturing Aang away.

"Thank you, I'd thought you would understand that you weren't the right man to teach the Avatar." Jong Jong straightened, staring at me in shock.

"What?"

"Well as he put it... what was that thing you told Katara, Aang? Back in the South Pole when you were trying to get her into that ship? Ah, yes. To be a bender you have to let go of fear." I grinned viciously at Jong Jong. I understood his anger towards the other men of his nation. I even understood his disgust and sorrow for being part of such an ugly war. What I did not understand was turning his feelings into a fear of his own bending and yet still willingly firebend. It was hypocrisy at the best, downright delusional at the worst.

"I'm pretty sure learning from someone who fears his bending would be a very negative experience. After all the student learns much more than just how to bend from his teacher. He learns how to look at life." I took Aang by the arm and helped him up.

"We'll be on our way now. Thank you very much for allowing us to rest here by your riverside."

"Maddi." Aang pulled his arm from my hand and looked at me in confusion, then turned and looked at me in confusion, "Is it true?"

"What is true? That Jeong Jeong is fearful of his bending and most importantly that you lack the control or the will to control your bending? Yes, it's true." I said turning away from Aang to face the elderly bending master.

"All elements can lead to destruction, air can form tornadoes and hurricanes. Earth can have landslides and earthquakes. The earth moves all the time we just can't feel it. Water can create hurricanes, tsunamis, and floods. Every element has some form of disaster connected to it, yet you don't see the benders of the other nations fearing their bending." I turned away from Aang again to face the elderly bending master.

"Fact is Jeong Jeong, you may not remember this, but there has been at least one time in history that every bending ability has attempted to take over the world. Fire, earth, water and yes, even the peaceful airnomads were once as obsessed with war as the firenation itself. I may not be a bender, but I see the beauty in a fire. Without fire humans would never have survived, we would have never been able to make tools, learn to farm or raise livestock, make our clothes. We need every element to help us survive, and we need every element to have balance. And we need to see that every element has its darker side, not just the element that is waging war at the time. If we can see that then maybe this world will have peace." With that, I turned, walked out of Jeong Jeong's hut. I didn't look back once.


	22. The Northern Water Tribe

Sokka

I leaned over Appa's saddle, bored out of my mind.  It was two days after leaving the Northern Air Temple. Pala was dozing a little ways from me, curled into a ball. She always seemed to try to sleep her problems away, as if the darkness could give her peace. I was different, I couldn't sleep away my problems, but I could distract myself.

"Can Appa fly any higher?" I questioned, looking down. We were barely feet above the water.

"Appa's tired. He's been flying two days without food! I'd love to see you carry us like that." Aang retorted angrily, sitting up from his place on Appa's head. We were all frustrated and stressed. It was nearly midwinter, and we hadn't found the Northern Water Tribe yet. That and none of us could forget what had happened at the Northern Air Temple.

"I'd be glad to," I replied sarcastically, "climb on everybody the Sokka express is ready for taking off." I blinked as I felt a sudden weight land on my back. Turning, I saw Momo sitting innocently there, blinking up at me with big green eyes.

Annoyed I shooed him off. Pala rolled over and muttered under her breath. I couldn't tell if she was talking in her sleep or slightly awake. Despite her denials, she did talk in her sleep… and snore. Although she was hardly the loudest, I had heard. A memory of my dad snoring caused me to smile briefly. Then Appa dipped. I yelled as the giant dragged his paws in the water. Pala shot up, suddenly wide awake from the rough jostling.

"I'm awake!" She yelped brown eyes wide. Katara smiled.

Appa jolted suddenly, as if he had tripped, causing us to cry out in shock. Pala shrieked in shock, as Appa tried to regain balance. A spear of ice shot from the ocean below, forcing Appa to dodge, sending us spinning. The flying bison hit the water hard, only to be frozen there. Katara was the first to speak as several large canoes, and a barge appeared from behind some of the larger icebergs.

"Waterbenders! We found the water tribe!" I grinned, happy that two days of boredom were over. Katara and Aang looked just as excited… Pala didn't. Her face was pulled into a stubborn frown her forehead creased into wrinkles, and her eyebrows thrust down over her eyes. I wondered how well she was taking the advice I had given her back at the temple. While one of the Warriors began to talk with Aang, I kept a close eye on Pala. She was defiantly unhappy.

"Welcome Avatar, and who are you three?" The same man asked, distracting me.

"I'm Sokka, son of Hakota, chieftain of the southern water tribe. These are my sisters, Katara, daughter of Kya wife of Hakota and Palartok daughter of..." I trailed off, turning to Pala to ask for her mother's name. To my surprise, she was gripping her bow tightly, knuckles white as she stared at me. I shrugged it off and turned back to the man. My father had taught me what was expected if I ever came across other water benders, not from our tribe. Katara leaned over and whispered into her ear. Pala stopped and gave Katara a strange look before replying.

"Coral, my mom's name is Coral." I looked at her in surprise. While not strictly water tribe name, Coral was fairly popular for women who wanted something different. Of course, it appeared among the earth kingdom as well, especially near the ocean.

"Welcome brother and sisters," the man stated warmly, "my name is Captain Anik, and this is my fleet. If you would like, we will escort you to our tribe."

"That would be appreciated," Katara added grinning at me, "We'd probably get lost otherwise." I huffed, indignant at the suggestion. I wasn't that bad with directions.

We followed Anik with Appa swimming so as to not outpace the canoes. Katara was looking around, beaming in excitement and chatting with Aang. Pala, on the other hand, walked over to me and sat down.

"You didn't have to do that." She stated as she began to polish her bow, checking to make sure it was supple and not going to become hard and crack from the cold.

"Do what?" I asked in confusion. What was she talking about?

"Introduce me like I was your sister." She explained with a roll of her eyes.

"Technically, you are. You're water tribe that makes you my sister."

"I was adopted into the water tribe Sokka, not born into it." She protested. I was about to retort that it didn't matter when her eyes widened. The awe on her face caused me to turn as well. In front of us was the Northern Water Tribe.

Jutting straight up from the water was a huge wall of ice, polished with the smooth perfection that only master waterbenders could create. Towers and large buildings rose up, taller than the walls, shining. Everything was made of ice or snow. I watched in fascination as several waterbenders broke off a section of the wall, lowering it below the waters surface so we might pass through. Little rainbows glinted off the perfect surface as we headed under the bridge.

I could tell that Aang, Pala, and Katara were just as awestruck as I was. It was impossible not to be. This place was the size of Omashu but made completely of ice. It occurred to me that the Southern water tribe might have looked like this at one time, before the war, before we lost our benders. For the first time in my life, I mourned the loss that our home had suffered.

As Appa swam along, we passed a canoe. My eyes were instantly caught by the girl sitting in them. Her hair was a silvery white, a colour associated with the elderly but she couldn't have been older than me. Her skin was pretty and coloured a pale brown. She turned and smiled at me with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. She was beautiful. My heart began beating an unnatural rhythm as I ran to Appa's tail so as to keep looking at her.

"....beautiful." I heard Katara state.

"Yeah," I replied dreamily, "She is."

* * *

Maddi

The Northern Water Tribe made me think of Venice. While I had never been to that particular city, it had been one of the places I had wanted to visit. It was ironic I finally got my chance to explore the world, and it wasn't even my own. Sokka suddenly stood and rushed past me to Appa's tail. I turned, curious to see his eyes fixated on Yue's back. I chuckled and turned back to look at the architecture.

We were guided through the city to a place where the buildings were smaller. I realized in shock it was a residential area. Families and couples strolled along while kids ran everywhere causing trouble and getting underfoot. Anik gestured at one house. Just like the others it had a pair of heavy animal skins as a door.

"This will be your house for your stay here," Anik told us, "We would be honored if you would come to the feast tonight. I will send a man to bring you to the feast. Let him know your decision." Katara began unloading, and I joined her as Sokka and Aang talked to Anik. The house was small, two rooms, the main living area and a 'bathroom' which was just a toilet as the bathtub was hidden behind a curtain made from a large animal pelt. In fact, the entire inside of the house was made of pelts and leather. It was strange and yet familiar as it reminded me of the Southern watertribe, just a more fancy version.

After we had finished unpacking, we set up our new home to our liking. Aang had taken off to make sure Appa would be comfortable in the Yak stables which left the three of us to finish the final touches. I was about to sit down and do some more reading of my scroll when Katara spoke up.

"So what's going to happen?"

"Pardon?" I asked, not sure I had heard her correctly.

"What's going to happen here?" She asked, "Who's going to be my waterbending teacher? Am I going to have two because I want to learn to heal as well, it sounded fascinating." Katara looked so excited I felt awful for what was about to happen.

"And what about that girl? Do you know who she is?" Sokka asked me, completely ignoring his sister. I smiled, Sokka was obviously love-struck.

"That girl was Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe," I replied smoothly, watching Sokka's reaction. Despite how the series had portrayed it, Sokka was practically a prince. Therefore he was practically of an equal station to Yue. I turned to Katara, unsure if I should tell her or not.

"Katara... the northern tribe is very different than the southern, especially in values concerning women." I shifted uncomfortably. Katara frowned, unsure of what I was suggesting, but I could tell that Sokka knew what I meant.

I was saved from having to explain further by Aang returning with Momo perched on his shoulder/

"You should see the stables Katara!" he cried, "they're amazing, come on I want to show you." Sokka was quick to interfere.

"That may not be the best idea Aang. It's probably only an hour before the feast. If we want to go, we'll have to stay here." Aang deflated but nodded and began chatting at Katara. I shook my head and went back to my scroll.

 _Day 60,_  
 _I have been one of the few members to be transferred out of the small town and into the navy. I hate water, no matter where I go it surrounds me, threatening to extinguish my life as easily as my fire. I spend most of my time seasick. But I thank every spirit watching over me that I am not going to one of the poles. There you can have months of darkness. Months without the sun... I would commit the ultimate dishonor to avoid such a fate. What did I do to deserve this? I was born on the land, raised on the land and I wish to die on the land. I do not understand how so many other_ firebenders _can not only survive but enjoy being seafarers. How I long for home._

_Day 63,_   
_The last two days have been insane as a man of royal standing has come to inspect our boat. Prince Iroh..._

I jolted out of my reading in surprise. The author of this diary scroll had met Iroh? Back before he was a prince and not a general. The realization shocked me. Here was an incredible opportunity to get to know what Iroh was like before Zuko before he had even had Lu-Ten. The thought both thrilled and terrified me like I was sneaking around behind his back. Still, I couldn't exactly stop myself.

_Prince Iroh is a strange young man. He's a few years older than me and strides about with the utmost confidence. Despite his bearings he smiles and jokes with the men as easily as if they were old school friends. Even stranger is if you have a cup of tea he seems to expect that you would have made him a cup too. Afterward, he will comment on how well the tea was made and spend a good fifteen minutes giving you tips. Eccentric is the term I've heard whispered around the ship but doesn't one have to be old to be eccentric? He is such a confusing man I honestly don't know what to make of him._

"Honourable guests, have you decided?" I shot up in surprise and quickly tucked the scroll away. It was time for the feast.

* * *

I woke the next morning to Aang, Katara and Sokka all getting ready to go their various ways. The feast last night had passed by with little interest to me, although I had corrected Katara when she had laughed at Sokka saying he was a prince. After all, he was the son of the chieftain. After that Yue and Sokka talked and Katara and Aang scoped out Pakku as their future teacher, although Katara kept sending me confused glances. She was probably trying to figure out what I had told her earlier about the tribe’s outlook on women being different. Sokka had been invited to join the other young warriors which meant I was going to be alone all day as I knew the second Sokka was free he would run straight for Yue. I was having conflicting feelings about the young watertribe princess as she was facing her death approaching quickly. I didn't know what to do, yes I was going to do everything in my power to save her, but that didn't mean it would be enough. I couldn't forget how I had left Suki back at Kyoshi Island, concussed with a broken leg because I had changed things. Still, I couldn't live my life in fear.

"Sorry for waking you," Katara apologized when she noticed I was awake. I shrugged and propped myself up on one elbow.

"So when are you planning on learning how to heal?" I asked her, I wasn't sure how she was going to take being told no. From my experience, Katara didn't deal well with that.

"I don't know. I want to know how to fight but from what you've said I'm going to need to know healing right?" I nodded, Katara learning healing was vitally important, even if it was basic. It would save Aang's life. I yawned, still tired and motioned for them to go. As they left, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I woke up a few hours later with a sigh and sat up. I was going to need to work on something during my time here as, unlike my friends I had nothing to do. After a moment I decided to work on my archery. I had been practicing with it for a while but so far had no reason to use it in battle. Here, though, a long range weapon was going to be needed very soon.

I spent the rest of the day working on my aim and technique. It was weak from lack of use, but I wasn't going just to give up. I needed the practice. After I had hit a bulls-eye three times in a row, I retrieved my arrows and stepped back further. I kept working at it, intensely focused on nothing else but the steady twang of the bow.

"You're not bad," I jumped in surprise, my arrow whizzing to the far left of my target. Turning I looked to see a girl, a good few years younger than me sitting on a pile of snow.

"Thanks," I replied lightly retrieving and notching the arrow again.

"It must be interesting to travel the world, especially one that is so different from your own." My arrow missed again as I spun to stare at the girl who stood behind me, an innocent expression on her face.

"Who are you, how do you know?" I snapped, nocking my bow and pointing it in her direction. To my surprise she rolled her eyes.

"Please, you couldn't hit me with that. Even if you did, it would pass right through, see?" She walked forward and stuck her hand straight through my arrow. I blinked then lowered the weapon.

"You're another spirit." She laughed at my statement as if I was the funniest person in the world.

"Of course, I am, do I look water tribe to you?" I paused and this time took a better look. While she was wearing the water tribe's usual outfit and her hair was dark that was the end of their similarities. Her skin was nearly translucent and glowing in a silvery light, and her eyes were pure silver with no whites or irises. Despite the fact that she looked Aang's age I could somehow feel that her age spanned millennium.

"My name is Nuuttuittuq, I am the Northern Star." I sighed and sat down on a pile of snow.

"So what do you want from me?" I asked with a glare, not bothering to say her name. I was tired of spirits interfering with me. Besides, her name was impossible to pronounce.

"I wished to check up on you and let you know that you are changing this world," I grunted. I already was aware the world was changing. I had seen small changes quite often.

"Wait, what do you mean check up on me? We've never met."

"That you remember. You were unconscious in the spirit world for quite some time" The spirit smiled warmly, "And you have me to thank for the fact you speak the common tongue at all." I froze and turned to her in shock.

"You gave me the ability to speak the common tongue? Why? Do you know why I'm here?" I demanded, my heart beating erratically.

"I saved your life, I changed your direction in the spirit world, I changed your native tongue so you could understand what was said to you and I was the one who made sure you were found by Sokka before you died from exposure. But I did not take you from your world. I did not create the disaster that brought you here, and I do not know who did or even if it was on purpose at all." I sighed.

"I'll be seeing you soon Maddison, and good luck." She had paused a second before she had to leave.

"If you cannot pronounce my name, then call me something else. A nickname perhaps." She smiled and then vanished into thin air.

I turned back to my bow and arrows, left abandoned in the snow. I retrieved them and for a moment or two just stared off into space. Finally giving up practice as a lost cause I put my weapon away and walked home. 


	23. The War Begins

 

The last three weeks had been crazy. I spent most of my time either reading or practicing my fighting with fans or bow. Katara had managed to get Pakku to agree to teach her, but he insisted that she was the only exception. He even said that she was blessed by the spirits and supposed to be a girl fighter. The water tribe, for the most part, believed him. Somehow she not only managed to work with Pakku from sunrise to noon but to head straight over to the healing huts the second her sessions were finished and learn to heal as well. Aang was busy trying to learn waterbending and Pakku had set aside a good portion of his day just solely focused on Aang and teaching him. Sokka had completely immersed himself in warrior training and becoming close friends with Yue. It made me feel useless like I didn't have a purpose here.

I was practicing some of the forms I had learned on Kyoshi under Suki's tutelage when I heard it, the sound of a gong reverberating over the entire North. My heart dropped to my stomach as I pushed my way out of our temporary home and into the streets. Dark clouds filled the sky, and black snow fell from above. The fire nation was here. I quickly gathered my weapons and rushed into the streets.

"Maddison. Stop." I froze and turned. Behind me stood the familiar form of the spirit of the North Star who I had taken to calling Nut, standing behind me.

"What is it? Because in case you hadn't noticed I have to get going." I barked. Nut sighed.

"If you can, save Yue." I raised an eyebrow.

"I was already planning to," I replied, stepping out of the way for a bunch of Northern Water Tribe members to rush past me.

"Good. Please do." Nut stated with a firm nod. I nodded and then took off running again. I could ask the spirit later why she was so insistent.

The inside of the meeting hall was full of people, all looking worried or scared. Knowing where my friends would be I looked at the base of the pillars, finally finding them at the middle left pillar. I joined them and waited for the few thousand people of the Northern Water tribe to calm down.

Chief Arnook came to stand on the dais and raised his hands. He addressed his people with an air of command and power that caused me to envy him. He was a natural born leader.

"The day we have feared for so long has arrived. The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe," I looked around. Hundreds of faces, men, women, children. And many would never be seen again.

"but they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits. Spirit of the Ocean! Spirit of the Moon! Be with us!" The chief paused, allowing the call to sink into the air then continued.

"I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission."

"Count me in!" Sokka called, shooting to his feet. I grimaced, I knew Sokka wasn't going actually to go on the mission, but it didn't ease how I felt about him volunteering.

It was then that I noticed I was getting odd looks. It confused me for a while. It then occurred to me that I had my weapons on my person. This was a culture that wouldn't let women waterbenders fight, why would they let non-benders fight?

As soon as the meeting was done, I booked it out of the hall as fast as I could manage. The last thing I needed was someone taking my weapons away because I was a girl. Of course, that also meant that I couldn't join my friends on the battlements. The only reason Katara was allowed was that she was 'blessed by the spirits.' While I was glad, Pakku had created an excuse it would have been nice if he would have used the same excuse for me. I sighed, I would have to lay low until the fight began. So be it, I was ready, and I was going to help, rules or no rules.

* * *

Sokka

"Men, you'll be infiltrating the Fire Nation Navy. That means that you'll all need one of these uniforms." Chief Arnook stated and gestured at a boy about my age. He had the typical water tribe appearance, blue eyes, brown hair, and dark skin. I took one look and began to laugh. The outfit was ridiculous, black shoulder spikes, a red chest plate, not to mention the ridiculous get up with the helmet.

"What's your problem?" The guy wearing the uniform demanded. I felt bad for the guy it had to be embarrassing wearing that getup.

"Fire Navy uniforms don't look like that." I pointed out, trying to hide my sniggers so not to wound the man's pride anymore than it was. He couldn't take a hint, though.

"Yes, they do." He challenged me, "These are real uniforms, captured from actual fire nation soldiers."

"Well, they don't look like that anymore. When did you get those, a hundred years ago?" The sarcasm slipped into my tone. I couldn't help it, this was ridiculous, we would never fit in among the fire nation warriors looking like that. Chief Arnook looked properly chastised as he muttered under his breath.

"Eighty-five." There was awkward silence for a moment.

"How can we trust this guy? Such bold talk for a new recruit." The guy wearing the suit demanded. I felt myself bristle at the comment. I had felt bad for the guy, but now I thought he needed to get off his high horse.

"Sokka is from our sister tribe, Hahn. He is a capable warrior, and I trust his input. Now our first objective is to determine the identity of their commanding officer." I snorted. There was only one guy who was chasing after Aang who had this sort of power. Besides Pala had said that Zhao wasn't about to give up easily.

"His name is Zhao. Middle aged, big sideburns, bigger temper." Once again the sarcasm surfaced. Not that I minded, it was part of who I was.

"Sokka," Chief Arnook stated, "I want you to tell everything you know to Hahn. He's leading this mission. Hahn, show Sokka your respect." Chief Arnook paused then smiled.

"I expect no less from my future son-in-law." My heart jumped in shock as I turned to stare at the cocky jerk. This was the guy marrying Yue? The guy that Yue had been so reluctant to marry? The guy who Yue had told me, she wished that she wouldn't have to marry. I couldn't believe it.

"Princess Yue is marrying you?"

"Yeah, what of it?" He asked, turning to look at me with a disinterested look on his face.

"Nothing," I grumbled, "Congratulations."

* * *

Maddi

I watched as soldiers escorted the women and children of the city to the residential areas. I was careful to keep my weapons hidden while I wandered about, trying to look like I was with those that the warriors believed would be no use in battle. It was dull, and I was bored out of my mind. The waiting, the worry and feeling the intense fear that seemed to spread among those here like a plague only undermined my confidence in myself. I needed to get away.

I slipped out of the residential district, creeping past the warriors who were protecting the women and children. They were in the safest place manageable, but I knew that no place could be truly safe, not during a war. I retrieved my bow, quiver of arrows, and fans from their hiding place and after making sure that they weren't damaged by the cold hurried to the city.

It was quiet the city had the feeling of abandonment, like no one, lived there anymore. It was so empty and hollow. It was eery.

"So what are you planning." I jumped, spinning in shock to see Nut standing behind me and sly smile on her face.

"You scared me." I pointed out sharply. Nut just laughed.

"You should not have been so on edge."

"What do you want?" I replied sharply. I wasn't in the mood for guessing games. Nut laughed again and leaned back.

"I just wanted to remind you that you need to save Yue." I stopped and narrowed my eyes.

"Why are you so determined to protect Yue? What does she mean to you?" Nut glared, and suddenly I was facing a woman, full of ancient power who stood as tall as a mountain.

"That girl is a threat to me if she dies," her voice echoed through the north pole causing me to frown deeply. How on earth could Yue be a threat to this spirit? She would become the spirit of the moon, how could she be competition for the north star?

"How," I demanded. I needed answers. Had Nut saved me only to stop Yue's death, if so why was this such a big deal. I didn't understand.

"You seem to believe that because La is in the form of a fish that she is mortal. As if a spirit could become as mortal as one of your kind. Our mortality is nothing like the kind you know. You cannot kill a spirit we only fade away when what we represent no longer exists. Your legend predicts Zhao will attempt to kill La. He would succeed, and Yue would sacrifice herself for the betterment of her people." Nut leaned forward, silver eyes intense despite their blankness.

"But while her sacrifice would be honored she would be the spirit of the moon for no more than ten human generations. After that, La would be reborn, and Yue would be... demoted into the first lady of the moon." My stomach dropped. I understood now. Nut was the first most lady serving under La if Yue would take the position Nut would be the second lady. Not nearly as important. That was when another thing occurred to me. Ten generations... two hundred and fifty years. That would mean that at least three avatars would be born and die before Yue would be replaced by the rightful spirit. Long after Korra's time as the avatar. It made sense in some twisted way that even the spirits that were supposed to be mortal wouldn't have the same type of mortality as us. If I didn't save Yue, she would only have about two hundred and fifty years to be the spirit of the moon. Or I could save La and by default, Yue and stop all that from happening. I knew what I had to do, after all, what sort of person would I be if I just let Yue die?

"I'll save Yue, but not for you Nut," I told the spirit sharply, "I'll save her because it is the right thing to do."

* * *

Sokka

"Let me tell you Sokka, I've courted a lot of girls, but Yue is the finest. And she comes with some nice perks." I grit my teeth, trying to focus on the axe I was sharpening. I had been listening to this jerk continue to brag about how incredible he was. Personally, I thought it was incredible that he was even standing on the ground with how inflated his ego was.

"What does that mean." I nearly hissed.

"It means that Yue's nice and all but the points I get from the chief aren't bad either." I felt my face contort in fury.

"Princess Yue is wasted on a self-absorbed weasel like you," I stated not trying to hide the venom in my voice. Hahn had been testing my patience all day, trying to show me up as though he was better than I was. Hahn looked confused.

"I thought you of all the people from the southern water tribe would understand," he replied. I sent a look at him in confusion. What was he getting at?

"I thought you would understand the politics and that all men have needs to be fulfilled. After all, isn't that why you have your sister practically hanging off the avatar?" He lowered his voice so I was the only one that could hear him, "Isn't that why you have that earth kingdom whore traveling with you?" I didn't remember what happened next. One moment I had been sharpening the axe, the next I was rolling over and over, sending blows at Hahn's face.

"Sokka! Hahn! Stop at once!" I was grabbed by the arm and dragged of Hahn. I was pleased to see that he had a bleeding nose and a split lip. He deserved a lot more. He had not only insulted Yue, his fiancee but Katara and Pala. Glaring I opened my mouth to challenge him to a warrior's duel, but before I could get the words out Chief Arnook cut me off.

"Sokka you're off the mission." I gaped at the Chief in shock. How could he do this to me? Hahn's words were more than reason for a warriors duel, all I had done was defend the honor of three women. I tried to argue but was cut off again by the chief.

"I will not hear anything else you have to say." With that, he turned and strode away. Hahn smirked at me.

"Come, men, let's take down this Admiral Cho."

"It's Admiral Zhao!" I shouted at their retreating backs.

A while later I was sharpening my boomerang, staring down at the sharp metal. What had I done for the spirits to gang up on me like this? Why did I deserve to always get the short straw?

"Sokka, I have an important mission for you." I turned to look at Chief Arnook in disgust.

"What? Clean the barracks? Because it's pretty clear that you don't think I'm important enough of a warrior to allow on the mission." I snapped. I didn't care if I was disrespectful right now. I was feeling too bitter.

"The reason I took you off the mission was for a purely selfish reason. I want you to protect my daughter." I froze and turned to the chief in surprise. He wanted me to take care of Yue? I nodded firmly and headed out. I was important the chief wanted me to look out for his daughter. I tore out into town, heading towards the place where the women and children would be. I hoped Yue would be there. The streets were empty and devoid of life as I tore through them. There was no time to waste the sun was already beginning to rise, and I knew that the fire nation would start the assault as soon as the moon dropped below the horizon. We had very little time.

"Sokka!" I skidded to a stop, surprised to see Yue standing not far to my left. What was she doing so far into the city?

"Yue? What are you doing-"

"There's no time! Katara and Aang are in trouble, a strange firebender with a scar attacked us." I felt bile rise in my throat. Zuko. What was he doing in the North Pole? Would he never stop following us?

"Show me," I demanded and quickly, following Yue as she took off. I silently sent a plea out to all the spirits that my sister and Aang were okay. That was when another person entered my thoughts. Where was Pala?

* * *

Maddi

I stood on the top of a house, watching as the sun rose. The sky was a warm butter yellow but despite the welcoming colours for me it might as well have been bloody red. The battle was about to begin and with it, the future of this world would never be the same. I had been thinking hard in my time wandering the empty city, and I knew that there was only two ways to stop Zhao from succeeding and both involved someone either dying or almost dying, depending on how bad the injuries would be. One was Zhao, who was protected by many warriors and soldiers as well as thick, durable fire nation armor. The other was a girl who wore no armour. A girl who unsure of what would happen. A girl who had little means to protect herself from deadly flames. A girl who was scared out of her wits. A girl who stood beginning to shake in her boots. Me.


	24. Battle Royale

Sokka

When I got to the spirit oasis, I discovered Aang was gone, and my sister was panicking.

"I can't believe I lost him." She muttered, tears forming in her eyes. I felt slightly sick to my stomach, just like I always did whenever my sister cried. It was something that she should never have to do. I stepped forward to comfort her the only way I knew how.

"You did everything you could. Now we'll do everything we can to get him back. Zuko can't have gotten far. I promise we'll find them."

"Okay." She murmured and joined Yue and me on Appa.

"Yip-yip," I called. Appa took off into the air. The snow pelted out faces as if trying to make us turn back but I wasn't going to. I had withstood harsher winters than this and Aang was out there, in need of our help.

We flew for a time, each of us keeping a silent watch for our friend. It was Katara who broke the silence first.

"Has anyone seen Pala since the meeting at the war hall?" I shook my head.

"No, I've been busy," I replied. I paused then added, "Pala is a grown woman Katara, she can take care of herself. It's not like she's going to do anything stupid."

* * *

Aang

I opened my eyes in the familiar lotus position. I was sitting on a brown lily pad, backed by giant reeds. I blinked once then stood. I was in the spirit world. Everything appeared washed in shades of brown, except the huge heron that flew by then vanished into the mist that seemed to be everywhere. This part of the spirit world reminded me of a swamp, tall trees with tendrils of moss were everywhere and there appeared to be no landmarks that I could use.

I wandered for a little while, unsure of where I was going. Everything looked the same. It was a sound that caught my attention. Turning slightly I saw the familiar form of a monk meditating on a hill. As I approached, I realized that this monk was a monkey, although it wasn't a kind I recognized.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to disturb you I just need to find the moon and ocean spirits."

"Go away." He replied. There was a pause and then he opened one eye.

"You're still here?"

"Yes, I need-"

"Ommmm." He said, squeezing his eyes closed. I didn't move. He opened his eyes again and glared at me.

"Look there," he stated pointing at a small glowing orb, "perhaps that thing will help you-" He said something else, but I wasn't listening. I took off after the glowing object as it bounced and twirled its way through the spirit world. I chased it up a tree, only for the tree branch to vanish beneath my feet, dropping me into the shallow water below. The orb vanished into the sky, leaving me alone.

"Hello, Aang." Maybe not entirely alone. I looked down at my reflection. Instead of myself, Avatar Roku looked up at me.

"Roku, the water tribe is under attack. I need to find the ocean and moon spirits." To my surprise, Roku rose from the water to stand in front of me.

"The ocean and the moon are ancient spirits, Aang. They are two of the five spirits that represent the world. However, I do not know where they are. Only other spirits, as ancient as them could tell you."

"Great. Tell me where I can find other spirits that old." I cried, there had to be plenty around, it was just a matter of where I could find them.

"It is not that simple Aang," Roku explained tiredly, "The ancient spirits do not care much for those who have just joined the world and do not make it easy for one to find them. And the ocean and moon spirits crossed over to the mortal world many years ago. However, I do know of one not too far who will know. His name is Koh." Roku seemed tired, but I was too worried to notice. I didn't have time to waste.

"Great, tell me where he is."

"This spirit is dangerous," Roku warned, "They call him the face stealer. When you speak with him, be careful to show no fear. No expression at all or he will take your face." I could feel the horror working its way onto my face even as Roku said that.

Roku directed me to Koh's lair. It was deep in the middle of this part of the spirit world. I felt like I was walking to my death but I had no choice. I had to find the ocean and moon spirits.

"What would Maddi say about this?" I wondered aloud. I cried out in frustration and smacked my hand to my forehead. Why hadn't I just looked for Maddi? She probably knew where the ocean and moon spirits were. I felt stupid once that thought occurred to me. Maddi could have given me the information needed to win this battle... but if she could why didn't she just tell me. I felt frustration rise, but I pushed it down. I needed to focus I could talk to Maddi later. Besides, she had said that she didn't know everything. Perhaps there was something I would learn here that she didn't know about.

Koh's lair was a giant twisted tree and at the bottom, a set of stairs lead down into the darkness.

"Umm, hello? I'm looking for a spirit. A spirit named Koh." I called as I came towards the end of the stairway. It was so dark I could barely see.

"Welcome avatar." My face remained carefully impassive as a white face appeared in front of mine. It was a good thing I was prepared for this. Inside, though, I was shaking.

"Hello," I replied blankly.

"So my dear friend the avatar has seen it fit to greet me once again in my home." Koh slithered around. His body was shaped like a caterpillar-centipede thick and fat with many long spindly legs. His face was blank, in the center a large mouth in which a mortal face sat. It was nerve wracking.

"You know me," I stated. I didn't feel safe posing it as a question in case that too was interpreted as emotion.

"Oh yes, one of your pre-incarnations tried to kill me a few hundred years ago. Something... about stealing the face of the woman you love." The face changed in front of my eyes to that of a beautiful water tribe woman. I would recognize the blue eyes and dark skin anywhere.

"But that's all in the past right," He said, his voice now feminine and sweet. It was almost more disturbing to hear him speak through her voice. Images of Katara kept appearing in my mind. The face shifted once again, to the same one he had originally spoken to me with.

"After all, you're different now. You have a new face." He began crawling around me, but I didn't turn to keep eye contact. I remained perfectly straight with no emotion. It was a struggle and keeping my voice calm was equally hard. I pretended I was meditating, nothing could disturb me, nothing could bother me.

"It's been a while since I have added a child's face to my collection. So, what can I help you with."

"I am looking for the moon and ocean spirit."

"Ah yes," Koh stopped moving for a second just to look at me, "the ocean and moon, push and pull. Their spirit names are Tui and La. But that isn't what you want to know, is it? You want to know where they are?"

"Yes, please," I replied in a hollow voice. Koh sighed, almost as if he was disappointed.

"You've already met them. Tui and La, push, and pull are tied eternally in a dance. They can never break, never stop. Forever caught. Push and pull, light and dark, good and evil." As Koh spun around me, an image appeared in my mind. A white koi with a black spot and a black koi with a white spot. The koi fish in the spirit oasis were the spirits of the ocean and moon.

"Thank you, you were very helpful," I stated then turned and left.

* * *

Maddi

Day only lasted six hours, in a few days, there would be no more sun at all, just eternal darkness. I had been running about the roof tops for hours, taking shots at the huge pieces of weaponry the fire nation had brought, along with that of their komodo-rhinos. That was when I heard a cry for help. I spun around. A water tribe warrior was being backed into a corner by a fire nation soldier. Despite how the series had depicted it not all fire nation soldiers were benders. Many had swords, spears, hammers and there were at least two dozen archers. Carefully I pointed my bow at the fire nation soldier. His helmet had been knocked off, so his head was bare. It would be easy to shoot an arrow through his skull. My hands began to shake treacherously. I couldn't bring myself to let go of the string, to release the arrow. I couldn't move. Inside I screamed at my weakness, but images kept appearing in my mind of what the man's family may be like. Furiously I lowered my arrow and shot it at the armored back. The arrow slammed into the armor, causing the man to stumble and give a shout of pain.

It was quickly cut short after the water tribe warrior thrust a spear through his throat. I wanted to be sick, but there was no time for that. The moon was up, and that meant that Zhao and his men would be heading towards the spirit oasis right now. Hopefully, they would be riding their giant beasts of burden the animals were ridiculously slow unless they got themselves worked up into a charge. And then it was practically impossible to control them.

I tore down the road, occasionally stopping to shoot at more men and animals. I knew I was weak, but I couldn't bring myself to kill someone. I just distracted or injured them. I let the water benders do the rest. I was nearly halfway there when two firebenders blocked my path. I grimaced. I didn't have time for this. I rushed forward, sliding my bow over my shoulder and pulling out my fans from Suki. The battle seemed to take an instant and forever at the same time. I was fighting furiously, my heart erratic in fear. One firebender I knocked into the river, but the other wasn't so easy to beat. We parried and thrust, one of his shots coming uncomfortably close to my ear. I was sure I smelt burning hair. Then the next moment a waterbender engaged him in combat and I was running again. I noticed that one of the fire nation soldiers had dropped a sword. Its handle was covered in blood, but I didn't pay any notice. I picked up the sword and kept running. I was almost there when the moon went red. I stopped as suddenly the silvery blue light of the moon vanished, replaced by a rich crimson. I looked up, my heart sinking in dread. Zhao had La that meant I had only a minute or two. There was no time to waste. The sound of metal against metal from behind me made me turn. A fire nation man stood there, dressed in his full armor, a sword pointed at me. My throat caught. I was going to die and this time, there would be no waterbender to save me. He rushed up to me. I raised my sword and slashed desperately. I heard his cry and watched in shock as my blade came away covered in blood. Part of his gauntlet had come off, and I had cut into his wrist. He hit the ground, his right hand cut down to the bone. Then he grabbed for his sword with his left and stood. My heart jumped into my throat. In one movement I dropped the sword, grabbed and notched my bow then released the arrow. There was a dull thunk as the shaft embedded itself in the man's throat.

There is something terrifying about watching someone die. Seeing the light leave their eyes, watching as they go glassy. Hearing their last breath gust out of them and knowing they'll never take another. My arrow was embedded in his throat as he toppled into the water. I stared at his body, his blood dying the water pink. I had just killed that man could have been a father, a brother, an uncle. He was my first kill. I hit the ground and vomited, heaving heavily. I was weak I was a coward a little voice whispered in my head. I didn't even have the strength to kill a man and for that, I was going to risk it all and threaten my life. What would happen if I died? I wouldn't be able to make the changes I wanted. I wouldn’t be able to help anyone.

  
I arrived in the spirit oasis and carefully crept along the edges. The bloody sword still in my hands. I could see Zhao and my friends caught in conversation and as Iroh made his appearance I was creeping up to the small plot of land that they all stood on. So caught up in each other none of them noticed me silently make my way to stand at the edge of the tiny island.

I paid no attention to Iroh's speech. Instead, I waited for the fish to be let out of the bag. The second it hit the pond I began to run.

* * *

Sokka

No one saw it coming until it was too late. Zhao's eyes went cold the second the fish began to swim. His hand went down with a wave of fire.

And that was when Pale appeared. It seemed that she flew over the fish, a silver sword glistening red between her hands, like a shield. Her braid flying behind her, her bow hung off her arm nearly falling off. Then the fire struck. Her back was to us so we couldn't see what happened but she was engulfed in fire. Fire flew over her head and to either side of her, leaving her silhouette black against the flames. Then the light was gone. Pala stood with her back to us then fell into the water. The two koi kept swimming, moving to the side to leave room for the body of the girl who had just sacrificed herself for them. Iroh, the guy I recognized as Zuko's uncle, attacked the fire nation soldiers. In less than a minute he had taken them all down. But Zhao was gone. I barely noticed as Yue. Katara, Aang and I looked at Pala. The burns were awful I could hardly recognize the girl who had come to be a second sister and a best friend. Her clothes had burned on her body. There was a choked sob to my right that I knew to be Katara. Yue, Aang and I were silent. I couldn't believe it she couldn't be dead.

"Sokka, I'm sorry." Yue murmured softly. I couldn't bring myself to answer, terrified that I would begin to cry along with my sister. Aang walked into the pond, glowing in the avatar state as he reached out to touch Pala.

"Look." Iroh suddenly said, pointing at Pala. I looked, unsure of what he was talking about and felt my heart jump. Her chest was rising and falling. It was very little, so faint I hadn't noticed it, but it was there. Pala was alive. Aang suddenly pulled back and dropped into the pond. I gasped as the entire area glowed with an intense light. Slowly a giant human shaped koi fish formed with Aang in the center. Then he was out of out sight, vanished to join the battle. Turning back to the pond I saw the both fish were glowing. Were they controlling him? Then to the shock of everyone Pala sat up and looked around. Slowly she stretched and clambered awkwardly out of the water. But something was wrong. Her eyes were a deep blue, not the usual warm brown and she held herself as if she was far greater than we were.

"It has been a long time since I have occupied the body of a human." She stated. It was Pala's voice, but it wasn't quite right.

  
"Who are you!" I demanded, pointing my club at her, I didn't know what was happening, this was something I had never seen before.

"Put that down boy before you hurt someone you do not wish to. As for who I am, I am La, spirit of the moon, and you are a fool if you think you are going to hurt me." She smirked, twisting Pala's features to her will. I grimaced but stepped back. There was nothing I could do. La nodded at me then turned to Iroh.

"It is a pleasure to meet you again General of Agni. I never thought that I would meet such a human twice during their lifetime. Have you made your peace with your loss?" As I watched, I noticed Pala's face was changing. In shock, I realized the burns were slowly vanishing.

"I made my peace with it many years ago," Iroh replied looking at the spirit with both reverence and a tone of nervousness. What did he know that we didn't?

"Good," La said again. With a smile that should have been warm and comforting but seemed to be cold and mocking, she turned to me.

"Do not fear for Maddi. I was able to spare her life as she fell into my pond. However, her wounds are great. I must tell you she was a fool for risking her own life. She is too important, to you and the spirits. Despite that, this is a one-time only situation. I expect it to be made clear to her that she is not to sacrifice herself again, even for one of her beloved characters." La sniffed derisively. Then a soft expression crossed her face as she came to look at Yue.

"However, I owe her much for saving my life and allowing you to live, my daughter." Yue looked surprised.

"I do not understand." She admitted, looking nervously at La.

"Your parents may have created your body, but I gave you life. I was the one you owe for your soul. You are my daughter as short lived as your human flesh may be. You will always have a place reserved for you among my stars. But until then, you shall take another role. You were never destined to be a princess or queen Yue. You are my priestess," I gasped in shock, and I could see tears forming in Yue's eyes as she realized what that meant. La too stumbled back and with a single blink her eyes changed from blue to brown.

"Yue, I'm... so sorry." Pala gasped, a single tear running down her face. Then La was back.

"Foolish girl," She snapped, apparently at herself, "I am protecting you and healing you, do not fight me." She then turned back to us.

"I expect you, my daughter, to begin your role in three days, no more." She turned to Katara, "Take Madison to the healing huts, despite my time with her there is little more I can do with her fighting me." Katara sent a nervous look at me but nodded and clambered onto Appa. La got on and then lay on on the bison's saddle.

"Yip-yip" Katara cried as Appa took off into the air.

* * *

Maddi

I spent a week in the healing huts, to exhausted and hurt to know what happened or even have the ability to listen to it all the way through. Once I was strong enough to sit up and stay awake for a few hours, Sokka, Katara, Aang and Yue all came to visit me. I was so proud that I had saved her, but the glares I was getting from my friends told me that I had messed up, badly.

"I can't believe you were so stupid to risk your own life!" Was the first thing that came out of Sokka's mouth. I blushed and looked away. I had lost a lot of my hair from Zhao, at least an inch off the bottom and now I had thick, choppy bangs from where the fire had burned the top of my head, searing off at least a layer of hair. My face looked like I had been suntanning without sunscreen and my freckles were probably going insane underneath it. I had also lost my eyebrows and eyelashes, but I was lucky to get away with that on my face. It was my hands that had the most damage. The sword had been turned red hot while I held it, creating a brand that runs across the palm of both my hands. My right knuckles and left palm were both badly burnt as they received the brute force of the damage. There was no doubt that they would scar, how badly was the only question. My bow was ruined as well, little more than a charred twig, however, most of my arrows had survived along with my fans from Kyoshi.   
"I didn't know what else to do!" I cried in frustration.

"What was so terrible that you were going to kill yourself to stop it?" Katara snapped, equally as furious. I didn't blame my friends for being angry with me they had every right.

"How about Yue dying?" I retorted, "I thought you would be glad that she wasn't dead?" Silence.

"I was going to die? How do you know this Pala?" My heart stopped. I had forgotten Yue was right there, standing to my left. I noticed with interest her outfit had changed. She wore a silvery-white gown with a yin and yang symbol on the front. I wondered what was the reason for such an outfit change. I was quiet for a moment before I told Yue the entire story, how I knew the future, how I came from another world and then telling her what would have happened if I hadn't done what I had, including the revelations from Nut. There was silence for a few more minutes.

"I understand why you did it, but next time tell us. You don't have to do this on your own I thought you already knew that." Aang pointed out softly.

"And if you ever think about doing something so stupid again, I'll tie you to Appa." Sokka threatened which caused me to laugh, breaking the tension that had been forming.

"I'll take you at your word. So tell me. What's happened since my stupid act?" I fell silent as Sokka told me about how La had taken over my body and how Yue was now the priestess of the Northern Water tribe. Her fiancee was dead which left the north with no next in line. Yue quickly pointed out that as the priestess it was her job to choose who would become the next of kin for her tribe. She seemed happy being the priestess from how she spoke. Only the longing glances that she and Sokka shared told the other side of the story. How sad she was that she now would remain unmarried and a virgin until she died. How much she wished that things could have been different and that she and Sokka could have been together.

Finally, my friends were shooed out of the healing halls but before they left Katara told me.

"Once you're able to be moved we're going, Pakku and some others are heading to the south, and they are going to drop us off in the earth kingdom." I nodded in reply and with a sigh, leaned back and fell into a deep sleep. Undisturbed by dreams.


	25. Change Begun

 

I was trapped, with no control over my body as I stared at the man in front of me. His right hand useless from the blow I had dealt him. Except instead of trying to kill me, this time, he was begging for his life.

"Please, I have a family, they need me." I wanted to stop, wanted to send him on his way with the best of luck but my hands moved against my will and the arrow embedded itself in his neck. Just as suddenly in his place was a face that I recognized all too well. Long chestnut curls that fell to the shoulder, soft baby blue eyes, worn jeans and a red plaid shirt.

"Maddi, how could you?" I shouted in shock and rushed to his side.

"Joe, I'm so sorry here-"

"I'm dead Maddi, at least, dead to you anyway." He stated calmly, despite the blood seeping down his neck and into his shirt.

"No, you're not. I love you."

"We're in totally different worlds. You'll never see me again, and I will never see you."

I woke up with a dry sob. I stared up at the hammock above me as I tried to calm my racing heart. At least I hadn't woken up screaming.

Ever since we had taken off on this boat, I had discovered just how hard war hit people. Everyone seemed to wake up with nightmares that would then wake the entire ship. There were only three who were exceptions. Katara, who hadn't been part of the battle. Pakku, who was so dry, bitter and sarcastic that it was impossible to tell if he didn't have nightmares or had learned to deal with them, and Sokka. I wasn't sure why Sokka wasn't bothered, but something within me said that both he and Katara would be okay, no matter what they were going to face. I slipped out of my hammock and up to the deck. Four men manned the ship, and not one even took a second look at me. The occupants of the ship often came out for strolls to clear their heads from whatever memory haunted them. It was mutually understood that you didn't bother someone if they came up before sunrise.

I leaned out against the side of the ship, breathing in the cold, salty air and looked at my hands. Wrapped in bandages, they were stiff and hard to move. Twice a day Katara would pull me aside and practice her healing on them. I was going to be scarred for the rest of my life, but they wouldn't affect my mobility after the first two months as long as they got regular treatment. It was a constant reminder of not only my promise but my mistakes.

* * *

I woke up with a scream, my voice pitching up an octave, so it sounded like a little girl's. Shaking myself, I clambered out of the sleeping bag, walking over to the stream. I splashed my face, shaking. The nightmares hadn't stopped for me, but Aang was now over them since his spirit meeting with Roku. It had been three days since the beginning of book 2, and I was feeling drained.

I had a new bow, gifted to me from the water tribe made out of some sort of whalebone but the replacement of my weapons wasn't enough. I was scared. For the first time since I had come here, I had understood that I could die here. Death had seemed like it wasn't part of reality like dying would only make me wake up. But killing a man and seeing the funerals of the dead had been a kick in the head. And now I was terrified of the journey I had begun. I had been a stupid, naive girl, and now I was paying for it. With a sigh I crawled back to my sleeping bag and lay on my back, looking up at the stars. They gazed down cold, heartless as if I was nothing to them. To the stars, I was little more than an insect to be watched.

"You know I never saw you like the philosophical type Madison."

"Hello, Nut." I replied in a dull voice, "Stay a while, please." Nut snorted and sat down beside me, her lack of a physical form making it look like the tiny blades of grass were supporting her.

"I know sarcasm when I see it. That doesn't mean I'm going to listen to it." She replied lightly, leaning an elbow on one knee to look at me.

"I owe you a debt Madison you made sure that I remained foremost handmaiden of the sky. That is a debt I cannot repay easily." I sighed and sat up, looking right back at her. For some reason, Nut had lost her little girl form, and she now appeared about my age.

"I just have some things I need to work out on my own I don't need your help." But nodded, her skin glowing as she stood.

"So be it, but if you ever need my help, just call." It was my turn to nod, allowing the spirit to leave, vanishing into the forest as if she had never been there in the first place. I flopped back down into my sleeping bag, knowing full well that I wasn't going to sleep for the rest of the night.

I pulled myself out of the warmth of my bag as the sun began to rise. My friends would wake up soon, and we would continue on our way to Omashu in a few hours. To get ahead of the game I packed up my bags and put them away on Appa's pack. While I was doing that Aang sat up, rubbed his eyes and began his morning meditation. He remained carefully focused on the matter at hand. I understood that feeling and let him focus on his routine. While I rekindled the fire, Sokka and Katara slowly roused.

Breakfast was quick, eggs and wild peppers that Aang had found. I was very thankful that the airbender wasn't vegan, it had been hard enough finding him food in the North Pole that fit his mandate. After breakfast was over, we clambered onto Appa and took off. Aang, Katara, and Sokka chatted and told stories, played games and various other activities to pass the time. I allowed myself to think on what had occurred back five days ago when we had arrived at General Fong's place.

* * *

Five days earlier

The fireworks were delightful I mentally admitted, watching the bright sparks burst and form in a variety of colors and shapes in honor of our arrival. General Fong himself had left his war room to greet us. To him, we were heroes, brave Sokka, Mighty Katara, Madison the Wise. He was a natural speaker, and he had an air that caused people to like him. Even though I knew what he was going to do, I found myself entranced by his eloquence and charisma. To top it off he wasn't bad looking either. Somehow he reminded me of Napoleon, short, charismatic and fairly attractive.

After he had given us the tour of the tower, including the stables and our new quarters until he could have his escort ready which he said would only take two or three days at the most.

"You're ready to fight the fire lord now, Aang," he stated, leaning over his desk to peer at the young avatar.

"No, he's not," Katara protested, "he's only mastered air and water. We need to find him earth and firebending masters first." Aang nodded vehemently, nervously eyeing the general.

"Why not? Look at the power he wielded in the Northern Water Tribe, with that kind of power we could cut a straight line into the heart of the fire nation." Fong leaned over his desk, dark eyes determined.

"We could save so many lives, Avatar Aang, stop this war right now. Do you know how many people die every day from this war?" He looked so sincere, so earnest and I understood what he meant. I too wanted to end the war quickly, but the Avatar state would only play a part. It was my turn to speak up.

"Even if Aang agreed to fight in the avatar state what makes you think he'll be as devastating as he was in the North?" I pointed out, "In the North Pole it was not the avatar state that controlled that beast, it was Tui, the spirit of the oceans. Aang did not choose to wield that power and even if he called upon the spirits to give him an equal ability which is to say that they will listen? The spirits have their own ways." General Fong paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Maybe you're right, he will not be as strong as the North, however even the regular avatar state should be good enough for our purposes. With the Avatar leading the way as the ultimate weapon, we would win in a matter of days." I glared and stood. I knew that it would be seen as disrespect but this needed to be listened to and if I had to do something shocking to get the attention I needed then that was what I would do.

"Yes, make a twelve-year-old boy the ultimate weapon. Send him into battle at his most venerable and just hope that he takes down the enemy. Do you even know what would happen if Aang dies in the Avatar state? Here's a hint, the avatar state connects him to the spirits of the previous avatars and the spirit that gives the avatar the ability to be reborn." There was silence as Fong, his generals, and my friends took this into consideration.

"I don't understand," Fong admitted, looking confused. I shook my head sadly and sat back down the choppy bangs waved in front of my eyes.

"You don't need to, what you need to know is that Aang is not going to fight for you. He needs to learn his own way. Now are you still willing to give us that escort to Omashu or can we leave now?" The shocked silence instantly told me that perhaps I had taken this one step to far. My guess turned out to be right when Katara and Sokka made quick apologies and asked to talk to Aang and me alone.

I was dragged into a small storage room. It was dark but not dark enough I couldn't see the faces of my friends.

"What are you talking about Pala?" Katara asked sharply, "I mean, I agree with you Aang needs to learn all the bending forms first but-"

"Katara," Sokka cut in. He had an intense look in his eyes. Reaching over he grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to look at him.

"Are you saying that if Aang gets killed in the Avatar state, there will be no more avatars?" Katara gasped, her eyes darting between Aang, Sokka and me in alarm. Aang had gone unusually pale as he thought about it a stricken look on his face. I nodded once.

"What was supposed to happen?" Aang asked me in a shaky voice. The young airbender looked utterly shaken. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose and I told them. I told them about how Fong wanted the avatar's power and how he would slowly lose it, eventually attacking Sokka and Katara to force Aang into the state. At that point, Roku would contract him and tell him what I had just told my friends. If Aang was killed in the avatar state, it would be the end of all avatars.

"Well, I guess the choice is obvious." Sokka pointed out. He too looked bothered by the revelation I had just given them. I noticed Katara's hand reach for the small vial of spirit water now attached to her mother's necklace. Aang nodded, still looking shaken. I touched his shoulder gently.

"Maybe you should contact Roku, just to talk to him about it?" I suggested. Aang gave me a wane smile and agreed.

* * *

I smiled slightly, because of me we were three days ahead of schedule. That same day we had told Fong that we didn't need his assistance, we had gone to Omashu once before without anyone but ourselves. We thanked him for his hospitality and left. All of us had been tense as we prepped Appa to leave, unsure if he would lose it and try to attack us. He didn't, and we left without dispute. None of us completely relaxed though until his tower was out of sight. I knew this was going to change things but for once I wasn't worried. What would come would come, I had been making changes throughout my time here, and they were eventually going to catch up to me. More changes would only move things along. In my opinion, it was a good thing. I had also noticed with interest the information change among my friends. Katara and Aang always had to be water of some kind where they would work on their bending for hours. It got to the point where Sokka and I were doing most of the cooking. Not that I minded as it gave us a chance to add in an extra dish of meat when we could. Fish especially was popular as Aang seemed to have decided to compromise and was now willing to eat fish and other sea foods. I wondered if part of this was from all his time spent around the water tribe whose main diet consisted of sea foods.

Around lunch we landed at a beautiful river, huge stones created ideal places to sunbathe, not that I needed it with my burns from the battle. Two huge stone pillars created a doorway which the water passed through. It was beautiful, and I wondered if at one time this was a temple or a spiritual place that waterbenders would come to. While Katara and Aang decided to work on their bending Sokka and I decided we needed some much-deserved relaxation and stripped as well. While Sokka floated around in the water, his hair left to hang down with Momo on his stomach I leaned against the cold side of one of the stones, deep in thought. This was the place where if we had come here three days late we would have met the hippies. As it was, though, I needed to think really about whether we should take the cave of two lovers or not. I didn't know if the fire nation base was there but it was a possibility. That was when another thought occurred to me. Omashu was probably already taken, and I should probably tell them that as well. With a sigh, I sloshed back into the sunlight.

"Sokka, Katara, Aang? If you have a moment I need to talk to you." Katara and Aang turned from their bending, dropping the octopus arms and making their way over to me. Sokka grumbled about not having enough time to relax but came over as well, carrying a disgruntled and wet Momo as the lemur had fallen off Sokka when the water tribe prince had stood.

"What is it now?" Katara asked, her blue eyes troubled, darting around.

"We're not in danger of being attacked, not right now. I want to talk to you guys about two things, our path of Omashu and what happens when we get there... if you think I should tell you."

"Is this another part of your story?" Aang asked, placing an elbow on his knee as he leaned in. I nodded firmly.

"Yes, I just recognized this river. We're less than a day's journey from Omashu." I could see the grins on my friend's faces as they realized that the journey to Omashu was almost over.

"Okay so is this a big thing or little thing?" Sokka asked. I could see his mind working, trying to figure out what could happen.

"Well that's the hard bit," I admitted, picking up Momo and cuddling him. His damp fur stuck to my skin.

"You see," I continued, "We have two ways to get to Omashu from here, the first is fairly safe, and we are guaranteed to get out with little trouble. The second might be dangerous. It depends on whether our being here three days early will make a difference or not." I paused again and looked up at the sky, a pure blue without a single cloud.

"The thing is after this little journey we're going to come across something really big, and it's going to change all the plans you guys had before." My friends exchanged nervous glances.

"So... how big? Like platypus bear big or wild moose lion big?" Aang asked, gray eyes anxious. I grimaced and looked away before admitting.

"Actually... it's more of a fire nation big." There was silence as my friends thought it over.

"Well I'm all for the safer route," Katara pointed out in fake cheer. I supposed that meant she didn't want to know. Not that I blamed her, she had been through a lot in the last few weeks. Aang on the other hand suddenly jolted upright.

"Is Bumi okay?" He demanded, looking alarmed. A strong gust of wind nearly blew me over. Wincing from the sudden cold, I was quick to calm Aang.

"Bumi's alive and healthy." Aang sighed and leaned back, relief evident on his face. Sokka looked between Aang and his sister with worry burning in his eyes. He stood.

"A few more hours shouldn't change anything. I say we should give ourselves another two hours before heading out. Do you agree with me?" He asked. Despite the general wording of the question, his eyes latched onto mine. He wanted to know just how bad the situation was. If it could wait then, we would stay, if not we would eat a quick lunch and leave right away.

"I agree," I replied, meeting his eyes. A few hours would make no difference in what was going to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three days ahead of schedule  
> \- Came in earlier into Omashu. This means that the 'resistance' had only been underground for a few days, about six. Mai and her family just moved in. Bumi has only been 'imprisoned for six days as well. This also means they are ahead of Azula who has only recently picked up Ty-Lee and is on her way to Omashu. She will arrive a day after they leave.


	26. Effect

Zuko

It had taken nearly two months for Uncle and me to find a place to stay. Even using our firebending to push the raft along all we could do was control speed. Somehow we had managed to find safety at an island resort, where the cherry trees were beginning to blossom filling the place with a sweet scent. This resort was available to both people of the fire nation and earth kingdom. However, only the nobles could afford it. We had been offered free hospitality as the man who ran the resort used to be close friends with my uncle.

Despite the tension in my shoulders, I couldn't accept the offers of messages with fragrant oils. Today was not a day for relaxation. A hand on my shoulder caused me to look up into the yellow eyes of my uncle, rich with compassion. For a split second, I felt the need to throw myself into his arms the way I had done when I was a child. After Lu-Ten had died, after my father began to distance himself me. I would never forget the look in my father's eyes after I had discovered I was a bender. I was six years old, two years before my mother vanished, seven before I would be scarred and cast out of the only home I had known. The shame in his face made me realize that if I hadn't been a bender, I would have brought less shame to my family.

"I see. It's the anniversary." Uncle Iroh stated softly, taking a seat beside me. I sighed and tipped the straw hat over my face.

"Three years today," I replied. For three years I had pursued the Avatar with no other purpose. But getting to know Aang and his friends, the small group had influenced my life. Aang was now more than the Avatar to me. I couldn't forget what had happened back on that day I had masqueraded as the Blue Spirit. He had told me about his friend back a hundred years ago and asked if I thought we had been friends. In the end, I had told him to leave. In return, he had smiled and said that he thought we would have. Then there was Maddi that girl had made an impression on me in a way that I could never forget.

You have the heart to be a good leader, one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his own people would rise against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the people's love.

I had been unsure of her, conflicted and confused but after meeting Aang, I found myself beginning to wonder honestly if maybe they had a point. It was as if something had been lifted from my eyes. I could see another side of the story and it made me sick to my stomach. My father had been cold, distant and angry with me for years before I was banished but I had locked those memories away, convincing myself that if I captured the avatar, he would love me again. Now I realized it was a task that I would have never been able to complete. Even with Aang being twelve years old and master of only one element, a fact that was soon to change if it hadn't already, I could not defeat him.

"Perhaps you would like to join me in a quiet walk at the seaside." Uncle suggested softly, "To take your mind off things." I looked up at my uncle and gave him a small smile.

"That would be nice."

* * *

We returned to our small cabin with a bag full of shells that uncle couldn't resist taking from the sand. After some time I noticed how careful he was that each and every shell was empty of any inhabitants. It was the familiar gentle care that my uncle seemed to share for everything under the sky.

He unloaded his horde with a child-like glee, eyes bright with excitement. He confused me, never consistent, one moment giving me pieces of wisdom or raising my confidence and the next attempting to play an instrument off key or collect sea shells.

"These keepsakes will bring us joy for years!" He cried causing me to shake my head. Four months ago I would have shouted at him, but now I felt like I couldn't tell up from down anymore. How had one girl made this much of a change in my life?

_You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko._

_Do you think we might have been friends?_

Now I was thinking of Aang again. Why was this happening to me? I winced, I was going to get a headache if this kept up.

"Hello, brother,"

Never mind. I spun around, already knowing who it was. Only one person would have the audacity to break into our private cabin and wait in the dark before acknowledging us. Azula. My little sister walked out from the shadows. It had been three years since I had last seen her and she had changed. She was taller, prideful and full of arrogance. I had never acted that way, but her special training with father evidently was making an impact. She had changed a lot, but I couldn't help but remember the sweet little girl she had been. Back before she turned nine, back before she showed her first blue fire. To create a fire that intense at such a young age...

"What? No greeting?" She challenged, gold eyes sharp. There was a distinct malice to them that hadn't been there when I had last seen her.

"To what do we owe this honor?" Uncle asked. I could tell he was uneasy, even wary of the clear changes that had occurred since we had left. A strange feeling welled up in my gut, one that I couldn't quite place. I tried to shake it off.

"Humm, must be a family trait. I glad that particular one missed me." She stated. Her voice was like ice, empty but full of spears. She moved toward me with a smile that long ago would have unnerved me, now however that feeling in my gut simply grew stronger.

"I've come with a message from home. There has been some talk of rebellion, treacherous plotting against the crown. Father realized that family is the only ones he can trust. He's revoking your banishment."

_Show them that you would be a better leader than Ozai, then overthrow him._

Why couldn't I get that girl out of my head? I wondered as something else occurred to me, wasn't Maddi a colonial? Could she have been talking about this rebellion? Could it be that the rebellion that Azula was talking about wanted me as Fire Lord? A creeping suspicion slithered into my mind. If that were true, Father wouldn't want me home where I was within easy access of the rebellion. He would want me far out of their reach. For him to invite me home meant that one of two things were happening. Either Azula was lying again, or uncle and I were going to be imprisoned. Azula didn't notice my disbelief or she chose to ignore it.

"I'm still waiting for my thank you. I'm not a messenger I didn't have to come here to give you the news." I looked at my sister. There was something wrong here, and her words of rebellion were ringing in my ears. I tried to answer her but the only words that I could manage didn't come out the way I wanted.

"A rebellion?" Azula looked ready to slap me across the face. I could feel the anger radiating off her in waves, but she seemed to pull herself out of it with ease although there was a tenseness in her eyes that wasn't there before.

"Yes, a rebellion. I understand how that might seem ridiculous, but it's true," She paused, "I can see this is all too much for you. I'll come see you tomorrow when you can think more clearly." With those parting words my sister, who I hadn't seen in three years swept out of the cabin.

It was later, once she had left that I realized that feeling in my gut was pity.

* * *

I was torn, pacing up and down the cabin, my frustration kept growing. Part of me wanted to believe Azula, the other part of me, the part that spoke in Maddi's voice whispered 'didn't you say Azula always lies? Besides you know about the rebellion and they want you as Fire Lord. Not Ozai, not Azula, you.' Uncle Iroh noticed my troubles. He sighed and sat down, patting a spot on the floor across from him.

"If you keep walking you will wear through the floor nephew." I stopped and sat down. My uncle looked into my eyes intensely.

"Tell me what is bothering you." I opened my mouth then shut it. I hadn't told my uncle everything about what had occurred on Kyoshi Island and I hadn't told him anything of what had happened between Aang and I. I started in shock, suddenly realizing that I had been calling Aang by his name for a while. I sighed and began talking to Uncle Iroh. I told him everything from Maddi's speech to Aang's beliefs and now to what Azula had said and my mistrust in my sister. On his part my uncle didn't say a word, he just listened, face impassive as I told him everything. It was so strange to have no secrets between us.

"It is your choice Zuko," He stated softly, "what are we doing?" I looked at my uncle, deep in thought. I doubted I was wrong about Azula although I wished I was. My thoughts wandered back to the North Pole. After I had captured Aang, I had dragged him with me farther north. At the time I had convinced myself that I was trying to get away from Zhao, and once he was gone I would leave, taking the avatar with me. Once again it hadn't worked. I had been defeated. However, instead of leaving me alone to die from the cold Aang and his friends had brought me with them. I had woken up during the journey back and carefully cut the ropes binding my wrists. I was careful to make sure I appeared to be asleep and after they had been distracted by Zhao I had slipped away, hiding in the shadows. I watched as they confronted Zhao over the spirit and my uncle's interference. Unlike everyone else, though, I had seen Maddison hiding across the water from me. Curious I had changed my focus to her, watching as she slowly made her way to the small island and then watched as she reacted to Zhao's attack before it happened. The second the fish had been dropped from the sack she began to run straight towards the pond. I hadn't realized what she was doing until she threw herself in front of the flames. She had attempted to sacrifice herself.

I wondered where she was now.

I shook myself. I needed to focus. There were three options for me. The first was trusting my sister, something which I knew was a bad choice. The second and third were both similar I would leave with Uncle, and we would seek out answers from either the Avatar or the rebellion. The choice should have been easy. I knew which one was the choice that needed to be taken but to do so would be to turn my back on my family.

Hadn't they already turned their backs on uncle and me? Uncle Iroh's eyes met me, waiting for my decision. I could see the worry in his eyes. Turning I admitted softly in a voice I hadn't heard in years. It was the voice of the boy I had been before my mother left before my father started hating me.

"I'm confused uncle." I flinched at how delicate the voice sounded, breakable and scared. In a few months, my entire life had been flung on its head, and it was all because of that girl.

"I know Zuko, I know."

A few hours later I looked back at the small cabin which had been our temporary home. From now on we would have no home, no one but ourselves to rely on. Our packs were small we had brought no more than what was necessary and despite my uncle's thoughts earlier he chose to leave the most behind. I didn't question him, but it caused me to wonder. Had he not been serious when he had talked about the seashells or if he was upset but knew the necessity of packing light?

We hurried away we needed to move quickly to escape my sister. Despite that, I stopped at a river. If we were to turn our backs on our family than we needed to do it properly. Slowly I dug into my pack for the small knife that I always carried with me. Slowly I held it out to my uncle, the earth kingdom lettering across the blade glittered in the light. Solemnly my uncle took the knife and cut off his top knot before passing it to me. I took it and repeated the gesture, cutting off the long hair in one slice. We watched in silence as the river bore our hair away, slowly breaking them apart until only long hairs were left, floating away downstream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night I looked up into the sky deep in thought. I didn't regret my choice I had made the right one, as hard as it had been. My family no longer cared for me. It hurt but not as much as I had believed it would. Images kept appearing in my mind. My uncle, smiling, the man who had been more like my father than my real father. Aang, smiling as he told me he thought we could be friends. Maddi was telling me with complete sincerity that I was ten times better than my father. More faces appeared, faces who my mind conjured, men and women reaching out to me, each begging me to free them from my father's dictatorship. Boys and girls, younger than me with a sad age in their eyes, marching off to war under my father's command coming to stand with pride beside me. All of them turned to look at me at once, and a haunting echo came to my ears. One repeated a thousand times in my dreams, a war cry that stayed with me that entire night.

_"Long live Fire Lord Zuko! Long live Fire Lord Zuko!"_

Long live Fire Lord Zuko


	27. Return to Omashu

It was devastating to see the hopeless acceptance in the eyes of my friends when they saw the red flag on the wall of Omashu.

"Is this always going to happen?" Aang asked softly. I assumed it was a rhetorical question as he continued. "Will we always end up two steps behind the fire nation?"

"No," Katara promised, her eyes were hard, "We won't." Sokka and I shared a nervous glance. While it was awesome to see those two determined, I was worried. By the end of this war any innocence would be long gone. Then again, innocence was always gone after a war. My generation in North America was lucky to be born in a time of peace and then as war did arrive it was offshore, and only the army and volunteers got involved if they chose to. No one in Canada was forced to join the army. Here, though, none of us had a choice. It was either accede to the fight or be killed from the effects of the war. There was silence for a moment before Sokka took action.

"Come on. There has to be a way in."

"There is." Aang and I said together. We looked at each other. I grimaced and quickly gestured for him to continue.

"There are several emergency exits in Omashu that lead underground," Aang explained, "Bumi and I used to explore them all the time. Well, none of those exits directly leave the city. The only way to leave besides the front gate…" Aang smiled looking very guilty as he explained that sewers lead out of the city, but we could use them to go into the city.

"So how are we going to get into that ravine anyway? Is Appa going to fly us down?" Katara asked as we walked to the edge, peering down. Aang nodded.

"When Bumi and I played here we created a set of stairs. The problem is I don't know if they're still going to be here. Appa's probably the best idea. What do you say, boy?" The bison grunted, sinking into position for us to clamber on. Once we were secure, the bison hopped down, descending in a controlled manner that made the huge canyon a lot less intimidating.

Once we landed Aang guided us to the sewer exit. My nose wrinkled at the foul scent coming from the grate. If it was that foul from outside the sewer, I didn't want to know what it would smell like inside. Appa took off, flying away and leaving us standing beside the metal lid. I grimaced, suddenly feeling very green as Aang opened the lid. I felt even sicker when I got a good look at the stuff that was running out of the tunnel.

"You know what, I've changed my mind, how about we fly over the walls," I suggested, backing away from the sludge. I could tell that my friends weren't exactly happy about this either. Aang shook his head and stepped in, calling.

"Come on, Bumi's waiting for us." Katara quickly vanished in after him followed soon after by Sokka. I remained frozen to my spot. That was sewer sludge. I had forgotten since Haru's village just what that meant. Back in Canada, heck, back in North America sewers held water, debris, and garbage. We had a separate system for plumbing. Not here, though, here we had chamber pots which were then promptly dumped into the streets along with the bathwater, kitchen scraps and everything else. I was suddenly very aware of how dirty that would be. A breeding ground for all kinds of disease and bacteria. I had never been paranoid over germs before, but this terrified me. I quickly pulled the fabric of my dress up, covering my nose and mouth before stepping in.

I was careful not to look anywhere but Sokka, my eyes riveted to his back. Each step I took, I shivered in disgust. We finally made it to the top I scrambled out so fast that I nearly knocked Sokka over. I dropped the neckline of my dress, taking large gasping breaths. My dress was soaked with sewage up to my knees and my small shoes only covered up to my ankles. I was better off than Sokka. He was covered in the stuff from head to toe from Aang and Katara's bending. Luckily for us, there was a barrel of rainwater nearby that Katara used to wash Sokka and I. Aang than dried us off. I was still slightly traumatized by the experience of the Omashu sewer system, and I felt like I would never eat again when Sokka shouted. I jumped in shock.

"AHH! Get it off! Get it off!"

"Calm down Sokka," Aang stated, quickly dealing with the issue. I laughed gently when I realized that it was a pentapus, this worlds five armed version of an octopus. Aang easily rubbed the little creature on its head, causing it to detach from Sokka, a star-shaped mark of purple splotches. I snickered as Katara removed the second one on his arm than yelped myself when I felt something move on my leg. Lifting my skirt, I glared at the offending pentapus and gently pulled it off. There was a shout, causing me to drop the pentipus and shoot upright. Two fire nation guards came running up to us, spears pointed.

"Hey! What are you kids doing out past curfew?" Katara was the first to reply.

"We were just heading home I'm sorry it won't happen again, sir." The soldier nodded.

"Make sure that it doesn't." We nodded and quickly turned to walk away when one of the soldiers noticed something.

"What's wrong with him?" We turned back in confusion. I frowned, looking at where the guard's finger was pointing. Sokka's face. I suddenly remembered the ruse Sokka would use later. In an instant I found myself blurting.

"Pentapox sir." The soldiers looked worried, so Katara added quickly.

"It's highly contagious." Nodding her head as if to make the lie more believable.

"Oh it's awful I'm dying!" Sokka quickly added, catching onto the ruse. I could see the panic grow in the eyes of the soldiers as they took a few cautious steps back.

"Didn't your cousin Chang die from that?" One asked the other nervously.

"Maybe we should go," the other suggested. Sokka coughed dramatically causing him to jolt.

"And burn our clothes!" The guards took off running as fast as they could, vanishing from our site in a few seconds. Aang laughed at how well the lie had worked, but I was caught up deep in thought. The pure fear in the eyes of those men worried me. They had been scared for their lives. Once again I was reminded how I was immune to many diseases that would kill in this time. Polio, small pox, and so many others that were killers here could never touch me.

"Come on, we need to find Bumi," Aang called as he walked away. We followed after him. After a moment I broached the topic with Sokka.

"How many people die from disease here?" I asked softly. Sokka looked at me in confusion before shrugging.

"Well I don't know about Omashu or much about the earth kingdom, but back home I'd say about fifteen in a good year. If there was a plague or something else it could be in the hundreds." He paused and looked off, eyes unfocused as he admitted.

"A single plague could wipe out an entire village." I shivered in terror. Back at home disease wasn't something to fear, not that much anyway. Diseases like AIDS, STD, Ebola, they didn't seem real, like they would never affect us. Some of my old friends used to joke about Ebola, thinking it funny. Now I felt ill just thinking about how many people could die from the simple flu.

"Don't you have disease where you come from?" Sokka asked noticing my silence.

"Yes," I admitted softly, "But we had ways to stop it, medicines that would kill the virus or antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria. Very few people ever die from illness anymore. We even have a special way to stop ourselves from every getting sick from certain diseases," Sokka shook his head.

"Sometimes your world sounds like paradise," I forced a laugh.

"Sokka my world has problems, just as many as yours, the only difference is the type of problems we face," we fell silent. A few minutes later the sound of heavy footfalls alerted us to soldiers coming our way and we quickly hid behind a bunch of scaffolding. Three fire nation soldiers passed by us, completely unaware.

"So where would they be keeping Bumi?" Katara asked softly turning to face Aang.

"Somewhere he couldn't earthbend," the young Avatar replied, "Somewhere made out of metal." I felt a touch of curiosity and this comment. While I was well aware that most earthbenders couldn't metal bend I couldn't' help but wonder if Toph had created the bending style or if it had been lost for centuries and she rediscovered it. One of the most prominent sayings in my childhood had been that there is nothing truly original if you have thought about it someone else has too. I didn't know whether that saying had any truth in it but it defiantly made me think.

We were walking along an elevated road that pressed against one of the walls in Omashu when I noticed a yellow glow below us. I desperately tried to remember this part but only came up with a blank. My knowledge of this episode was limited almost exclusively to the battle between the Gaang and Azula. As I peered down, I realized that it was two people, surrounded by guards. In a flash memory hit me. It was Mae, her mother, and her little brother Tom-Tom. A loud rumble from above us alerted me to what appeared to be a rock slide. I shot backward, away from the ledge as Aang destroyed the boulders. This of course also caught the attention of the people below us.

"The resistance!" I heard a woman, probably Mae's mom shriek. The other figure, Mae began to run straight at us. I knew that there was a steep incline slope to slow her down, but I doubted that would do much.

"Crap," I hissed before turning to my friends.

"We got to go!" I cried, grabbing Katara's hand and tearing across the elevated road as fast as I could. Aang and Sokka were close behind but so was Mae. I could hear the sounds of small daggers implanting themselves in the wall, only failing to reach us because of Aang's airbending.

"Quick, this way," A strange voice called. I didn't even pause to think, following the voice and vanishing along with my friends from Mae's sight.

It was dark and quiet for a while before a torch lit up. I blinked in shock to see three men in earth kingdom clothing with scarves around their mouth and nose and hats to cover their eyes. Right, the resistance, of course, in all the excitement I had forgotten temporarily.

"Thanks for saving us," Katara told one, standing and dusting herself off. I quickly followed, moving to stand beside my friends.

"Who are you?" Aang questioned, not looking entirely comfortable with the disguises the men were wearing. After a moment the hats and scarves came off, revealing two men in their mid-forties and one young man about my age. One of the older men, who I assumed was the leader bowed formally.

"My name is Yalan, and I am the leader of the resistance here in Omashu. Welcome, Avatar. " We bowed back, not having to introduce ourselves as it was pretty obvious who we were. Something about Yalan's sentence interested me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"What happened here?" Aang asked. Before anyone could reply, Sokka added.

"How did the fire nation win, and how long have they been here?" There was silence. Yalan sighed and gestured down the tunnel.

"Follow me and I'll answer your questions." He took the torch from the other man and began the decent. My companions and I followed close behind while the other two benders watched our backs.

"Four days ago the fire nation came to Omashu. I was the leader of the king's elite guard, so I approached him and asked him what was to be done. He told me to sit back and do nothing." I could feel the anger radiate from Yalan at the prospect of his king practically giving up.

"Bumi just... gave up?" Aang asked softly, not seeming to believe it. If I hadn't known that this was already going to happen, I would have been upset as well.

I forgot the conversation as we came into the main cavern. Hundreds of people were here, talking, sitting around cookfires and hundreds of other various activities.

"It doesn't matter now," Yalan stated softly, "The only path to freedom is to fight the fire nation."

"That's not true," Aang pointed out, "There is another path to freedom, leave Omashu. Retreat, leave so you can fight another day." Yalan looked bothered by that.

"How can we? Omashu is our home we cannot just abandon it."

"I don't know Yalan," his other companion said looking thoughtful, "Living for another day sounds like a pretty good option about now." Yalan frowned in thought before he finally agreed.

"Fine, but there are thousands of people who need to leave. How are we going to get them all out?"

"Suckers!" Sokka exclaimed, drawing our attention to him. Grinning like a maniac, Sokka explained.  
"You're all going to come down with a nasty case of pentapox."

* * *

 

  
Acting sick had been pretty fun actually although I felt a little as if we were participating in a zombie walk. It was getting pretty hard not to laugh at the terror in the eyes of the guards. However, I was careful to keep an eye out for a little fire nation toddler. I didn't see him, but I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

It was late at night when Aang returned, and the headcount had been finished. Tom-tom had made it to us without my noticing, and I had quickly taken the infant into my care, releasing Momo from babysitter duty. Katara couldn't help but try to maul the little guy. I had to admit the eight-month-old was adorable, but my focus was distracted from him when Yalan spoke.

"Sure he's cute now, but he'll grow up and join the fire nation's army. You won't think him to be so cute then he'll be a killer." I jerked and glared at Yalan.

"Do you not think that the fire nation feels the same way about our children? This little boy's nation does not mean he will be a killer. There are fire nation scribes and shop keepers just as there are earth kingdom scribes and shopkeepers," I pointed out sharply.

"He's a noble's child, the eldest son of a noble to boot, he will become a warrior," Yalan snapped, glaring at me. I grimaced.

"You don't know that, and you have no right to group all fire nation citizens as ruthless killers. There are probably fire nation soldiers who have no choice in what they become. Somewhere out there fire nation villages are starving to death,"

"And that gives them the right to attack us? They are doing it to themselves!" Another man hissed. I winced. How could I explain what was going on in my head? It wasn't right to group all fire nation people under the same umbrella but every time I spoke up, they shot me down. I looked away, frustrated, gently bouncing Tom-tom on my knee.

* * *

I walked beside my friends, for the first time since Kyoshi island dressed in my full warrior regalia. Tom-tom was being held by Sokka who didn't seem to mind that much. We stopped when we saw the three girls approach. I couldn't help but gasp when I saw Azula as it suddenly really hit me. These girls were no older than fifteen, maybe sixteen where Mae was concerned. Sokka stood slightly behind me to my right Aang stood to my right and Katara to my left. I was surprised at how well the orange cloth hid Aang's tattoo.

The familiar sound of Bumi's laughter attracted my attention to the elderly earth king as he was being lowered to the ground from a crane.

"Hi everybody!" The mad king laughed. I felt a touch of disappointment. I probably wouldn't get a chance to talk to him, but I wanted to. I wanted to know how it had been so obvious to him that I was from another world. Aang smiled at the sight of Bumi than turned and projected his voice across the area.

"We're ready to trade." I saw Azula turn to Mae. Her words were loud enough that the voice could be heard but the words weren't. I frowned, I wasn't going to leave my friends in the dark.

"They're going to break the trade." I warned, "Sokka we need to be ready to get the baby out of the way."

I could feel the shift in the atmosphere among my friends. Katara's hands prepared to bend, Sokka began moving back and forth preparing himself to run. Aang relaxed his muscles in preparation to start his primary form of bending. I shifted the position of my arms so with one movement I could slide my bow off my shoulder and notch it. All my practice was about to pay off.

"The deal's off," Mae called, her voice loud enough for us to hear. In an instant, they realized that we had expected that. Aang ran straight towards them as the crane began to lift the metal sarcophagus that held the old king, Sokka ran in the opposite direction, protecting the child while Katara and I moved closer, reading ourselves for battle. I noticed the shock in Azula's eyes at how fast we had moved, and I could almost see the cogs turning in her head. She had figured out that we knew what was going to happen beforehand, she just couldn't figure out why. She didn't have time to think long, she lunged forward, shooting a blast of blue fire at Aang. To her shock, he shot up into the air, far higher than any normal human would. My attention was distracted from the fire nation princess by Mae raising her arm. I knew what she was going to do. In an instant my bow was down and strung, the first arrow shooting towards her hand. Despite my practice I wasn't a perfect shot, the arrow just clipped the edge of one of her fingers. Judging from the yelp of pain that came from her, and the way she nearly dropped her dagger I had managed to make a cut. I kept my eyes wide open, looking for the girl in pink who was by far more dangerous than her companion in black. There! Ty Lee was trying to get at Katara from the back while she battled Mae. A single arrow was sent flying at the girl, only to miss completely when she dodged. I grimaced and notched another one sent it flying then sent the next. The first arrow was for her to dodge, which she did. The second was close behind but in a slightly different direction. Once again it missed the acrobat as she flipped out of the way. I snarled and switched weapons, replacing my bow with my fans from Suki. I charged forward, my entire focus on Ty Lee.

We engaged in a flurry of quick blows. Ty Lee was fast, and it was a struggle to keep up with her acrobatic tendencies. One moment she would be in front of me, the next behind me trying to hit pressure points. I quickly began to follow her technique and just kept moving, making it hard for her to figure out where my pressure points were.

"Need a hand ladies?" I ducked as a blue boomerang flew over my head, managing to smack into Ty Lee, giving her a gash across the cheek. Katara quickly abandoned her fight with Mae to charge onto Appa. I followed behind, shooting two arrows to make sure that the two fire nation girls remained where they were. Once I was on his tail, Appa took off, causing me to scramble onto his saddle with much more haste than I would have liked. For a minute I laid on the familiar leather, taking a breather. I was covered in sweat, and I was pretty sure I had lost at least seven arrows. I sat up, keeping my eyes open for Aang and Azula, knowing that they would be on one of the mail chutes. Sokka spotted him first and directed Appa in the right direction. It didn't matter Aang shot Bumi and himself off the road towards us. Either adrenaline of overestimating the weight of Bumi caused Aang to completely miss, shooting over our heads and into the city below. Appa flew up, needing to get a better look at where to land nearby. I allowed myself to relax slightly, pushing sweaty bangs out of my face.

We finally found a place to meet Aang, but we were too catch late up to Bumi. Despite the disappointment on Aang's face, he didn't question my reasons for not telling him everything that was about to happen. I found myself smiling. My friends respected me and cared for me, and we would all give our lives for each other. In my mind, there was nothing better in the world.


	28. Swampy Business

I leaned back on Appa's saddle, casually stripping a branch and turning it into a shaft of an arrow. Katara was leaning over the other side, looking down at the ground below while Aang stared off into space. Sokka too seemed to be feeling the lack of purpose the last day had given us. It wasn't until my ears popped that I noticed that we were losing altitude. I wasn't the only one.

"Aang?" Sokka called, trying to snap the grey-eyed Airbender from his reverie. "Aang!" Aang started, looking up at Sokka in shock as though hearing him for the first time.

"What?"

"We're losing altitude," Sokka pointed out, gesturing at the tree line steadily drawing nearer. Aang looked surprised for a moment before apologizing.

"Sorry, I thought I heard a voice… calling me." To my surprise Sokka didn't snort derisively, instead looking thoughtful.

"Well, enough weird stuff has happened to us," Sokka admitted. After a moment he clued in on all our surprised looks.

"What?" He challenged. I shook my head, laughing slightly.

"Nothing, but we do need to land." Of course, Sokka couldn't be totally changed in an entire day, so he quickly protested.

"Why? Just because a swamp talked to Aang?"

"No, because the swamp is going to tell Aang who his earthbending teacher is and I don't particularly care to be depressed by a giant whirlwind." There was silence for a moment then Sokka shook his head.

"I don't know why I try anymore."

We landed on one of the driest areas of swamp land, looking around.

"So how is a swamp going to tell me who my bending teacher is?" Aang asked me. I frowned.

"Well, I'm not sure how it does what it does. The process is never explained, but this swamp shows people their past and in the occasional case, their future. The problem is that you have to be alone." My friends frowned, not liking that idea very much.

"So you're telling me we have to separate? But what if we get lost? We might never find each other again." Katara pointed out. I shook my head.

"Not entirely, the illusions will lead you towards the heart of the swamp that's where we will meet up," I explained with a sigh.

"I still don't like this," Katara stated. I frowned than admitted.

"Neither do I. I just don't know what would happen if we try to leave. The swamp might want to show us the visions and stop us if we leave before. That's the problem I don't know the motives behind this. It might be fine with us leaving while at the same time it might become angry that we aren't listening to it," I felt like pulling out my hair. I was so frustrated and confused. Katara picked up on my frustration.

"We'll stay here for today, if nothing comes by tomorrow morning, we'll leave. Does that sound fair?" I smiled nervously and nodded. Sokka huffed, not looking very pleased while Aang but his lip, thinking nervously.

"Well if we're staying I'm getting firewood," Sokka stated, striding off. I looked up at the sky. It was only about an hour after noon we wouldn't need firewood until later. I frowned, looking off after Sokka then shrugged.

"I'll go after him," I called to Katara and Aang, plunging into the underbrush after the young watertribe boy.

* * *

Sokka

I hacked at another branch, starting determinedly at it. Part of me understood what Pala had been saying. However, the other part was insisting that we climb on Appa and get out of here. I didn't like the way this place felt like it was watching me.

"Sokka?" A voice called. I looked up, frowning. The voice sounded like... I froze when I saw her. Standing in a clearing not far away was Yue, dressed in her priestess robes of silver and pale blue. She smiled at me, her eyes meeting mine then turned and walked away. I dropped the bundle of sticks and vines I had collected and bolted after her. What was Yue doing here? I ran after her, my feet sloshing through the muddy water. She never looked back, never sped up faster than a walk and yet she remained consistently in front of me.

"Yue stop!" I cried, frustration growing as she vanished out of sight. In frustration I screamed, slamming my machete into a tree. Groaning I pulled my weapon out and leaned against the damaged tree, running a hand over my wolf-tail.

This swamp shows people their past and in the occasional case, their future.

It hit me like a load of bricks the swamp had been showing me my past, and I had followed it like an idiot. I leaned back. I would just have to wait here they would realize soon enough what had happened and come looking for me. My face flushed in embarrassment. I was not looking forward to the teasing I was going to get for this.

* * *

Maddi

"Sokka?" I called, looking around in confusion. I was sure he had gone this way. I continued walking, calling the water tribe boy's name.

"Sokka?"

"Mom!" I jumped in surprise, slipping and falling into the murky water. Yelping in shock, I shot upwards, cold water filling my clothes. A peal of laughter rang out, causing me to look up. A little girl, about five or six years old stood in front of me. She wore her hair in two pigtails secured by the red cloth. She wore a pretty blue dress that looked like it had water tribe origins but had been adapted to a warmer climate. Around her neck was a familiar pendant. In shock, I lifted my necklace. The two were perfect matches only the string was different. While mine was a simple black cord the little girl wore a red silk ribbon. Her eyes were a pale brown and her skin matched my natural skin tone. She had the high cheekbones and brow that I recognized from myself along with my dad's slightly upturned nose. Her chin was stronger than mine, though, and her face was more defined, less soft. She beamed at me, eyes twinkling as she tried to hide her laugh.

"You're so funny, mom." She laughed, and took off running, her feet passing on top of the swamp water.

"Wait!" I shouted, tearing off after the girl, Sokka forgotten.

It felt like I had been running forever, but the girl had vanished, and I couldn't find her. Slowly I began to decrease my pace. Looking around I realized that I was completely lost.

"Great, just great." I muttered, spinning around again, "Why on earth does this always happen to me?"

"If I knew that then I would also know how you came to be here. Sadly I do not have answers for either," A voice said from behind me. I jumped for the second time today, turning to find myself face to face with the familiar figure of Nut. With a sigh I allowed myself to relax.

"Hello, long time no see. To what do I owe this particular visit?" I asked. What was it about me that had spirits so fascinated?

"You're lost." Nut replied with a lofty tone, "As for why we are drawn to you-"

"That was rhetorical," I snapped before pausing, "And you read my mind again." Nut paused, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully.

"I suppose I did. It is hard not to when you project your thoughts so powerfully." I grunted in reply.

"So why are you here? Unless you can tell me what I just saw, I don't see a point in you being here," I asked. Nut tutted lightly, shaking her head.

"I thought I might introduce you to a friend of mine. Madison meet Ashvattha, the spirit of the tree." I blinked owlishly as another spirit emerged in front of me. He was tall, even in human appearance with a sturdy build. His clothes seemed to be a mix of leaves and vines while he had armor made of what looked to be bark. He looked older than most of the spirits I had met so far, in his early fifties I assumed, but I could tell that in reality, he was younger than them. He nodded to me formally.

"I have heard much about you young spirit walker." I turned to Nut, unsure of how to process that particular introduction.

"So you're the spirit of this swamp." I finally replied after Nut ignored my silent plea for help. Typical, she reads the thoughts I don't want her to and ignores the ones I do. Ashvattha nodded again.   
"That is correct. I must admit I have had very few chances to show anyone their potential futures it was refreshing to give two on the same day." I smiled, that meant that Aang had already seen the vision of Toph. Good.

"Can you tell me what my vision was about?" I asked timidly. I wanted to know who that little girl was. Ashvattha looked surprised at my question.

"Didn't she tell you who she was?" I furrowed my brow in thought.

"She called me her mom."

Ashvattha nodded again. I was beginning to get the idea that he was a spirit of few words. Judging from Nut's reaction to his reply my assessment was correct.

"Oh for the love of- just answer the question already." The spirit of the north star insisted. I nearly chuckled at her reaction. Ashvattha sighed, a sound that reminded me of a soft wind rushing through willow branches.

"Yes, that child is your daughter or at least your potential daughter. With the ripples, you are causing no future is certain any longer. However, if you continue on your current path she will exist... at least it is highly likely." I grimaced, it was a lot to process.

"Then can you please direct me to my friends?" I asked, deciding to take the time to think about it later. Ashvattha pointed in front of me to the right.

"Thank you," I replied and walked past, letting the spirits vanish back to their world.

* * *

I pushed through the underbrush, gnats buzzed around my head, taking bites out of my skin. I swatted another one away only to slip down a slope. Rolling I slammed into the back of someone. The person yelled and promptly lost their footing.

"Maddi!" Katara yelped, running over to help me up, ignoring her brother who looked cross at being shoved into the water.

"Sorry." I winced, helping the water tribe boy out of the thick water.

"Thanks." He grunted. I looked around then laughed softly.

"Looks like I'm the last one to this reunion huh?" I asked. We laughed together before I looked around again. Something was missing but what?

"Who are you?" I jumped. A short dark skinned man dressed in huge fig leaves stepped in front of us. Despite his short size, I knew he was a powerful bender. Waterbender I remembered at once, in the show he had bent vines into a giant monster to scare the group away. But for whatever reason he hadn't attacked us this time. I suspected that it had to do with the length of our time here, Sokka hadn't done that much damage to the swamp. Therefore we didn't need to be intimidated. We looked at each other. Katara quickly stepped forward.

"I'm Katara from the southern water tribe this is my brother Sokka, our friend Pala, and Avatar Aang." The man bowed formally.

"Greetings I am Hue. I protect this swamp. What brings you here to the swamp?" I listened as Katara explained, leaving out my knowledge of the future. It was best kept a close secret between the three of us anyway. Hue looked surprised. He grinned and quickly gestured at us to follow.

"Come with me." Hue lead us a little farther north to a gigantic tree.

"I reached enlightenment under this very tree. I hear it calling me, just as you did Avatar." Sokka snorted.

"Yeah, it seems really chatty."

"He really isn't," I replied with a sigh earning strange looks from my friends. Hue sat down, and we followed his example.

"You see this entire swamp is just one gigantic tree. Branches spread and sink and take root and then spread some more into one great big organism like the whole world," Aang frowned, tilting his head sideways in thought.

"I see how the tree is one thing but the whole world?"

"Sure. Do you think you are any different from me? Or your friends? Or even this tree? If you listen hard, you'll realize that everything breathes together, grows together. We're all living together, even if most folks don't act like it. Like your friend's necklace says, everything is in harmony, and all of us are connected, even the elements are connected. I blinked, looking down. I had forgotten to tuck my necklace back under my dress after seeing the spirits. Now it was where everyone could see. I blushed and held it up. The four elements glimmered in the half-light from the setting sun. Katara stared at it for a moment before shaking herself out of it. She turned back to Hue with a frown.

"Then what were our visions about?" Hue gave a small smile.

"The swamp shows us that we are all connected, that time is an illusion that distance doesn't matter and that those we believe are out of our reach are never truly gone. We're still connected to them."

"But in my vision, I saw someone who I had never seen before? What does that mean?" Aang asked. Hue smiled knowingly.

"You're the avatar you tell me." I could almost see the light bulb go off above Aang's head.

"If time is an illusion then it is someone I'm going to meet... My earthbending teacher!" He cried, shooting into the air, once again defying gravity. Hue shrugged.

"Well I don't know the specifics but if you say so."

* * *

The next day after finding Appa and Momo with the swamp benders we were on our way. Aang was grinning like a maniac, so excited to finally know who his earthbending teacher was. Sokka was just happy to be out of the swamp with a full stomach. Katara, on the other hand, was looking at me thoughtfully.

"So when did you get that necklace?" She asked me after a moment of thought. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I got it at Kyoshi Island."

"That long!" Sokka yelped, shooting up to look at me incredulously. I nodded.

"Yep, I got it for really cheap. The same vendor who gave me this." I gestured at the earth kingdom dress I was wearing.

"Didn't you guys wonder where I got it?"

"I thought Suki gave it to you." Katara explained, "You started wearing it right after you started learning from the Kyoshi warriors after all." I paused, thinking how they could have come to that conclusion. It made sense.

"I suppose. No one wanted it, so I bought it. I liked it because it reminded me of what this world is going to be like after the war as well as our group."

"There's no fire nation people in our group." Sokka pointed out.

"Not yet," I agreed, "But eventually Aang is going to need a firebending teacher."

"Zuko right?" I spun around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash at Aang's voice.

"WHAT!" Sokka shouted. I winced.

"That was my ear," I snapped, holding the throbbing body part.

"What do you mean Zuko is Aang's teacher? That crazy guy has been chasing us across the world!" Sokka looked quite alarmed. Katara also seemed to be bothered but not to the extent that her brother was.

"Zuko isn't all bad he freed me from Admiral Zhao after I got caught by him one time."

"Aang, when did Zhao catch you?" Katara asked. Aang looked nervous for a second before plunging into the entire story. I listened to the whole story. I was even shocked when Aang told us how Zuko hadn't attacked him, instead just telling him to leave.

"But if he such a good guy... why was he trying to capture you in the first place?" Katara asked.

"Zuko had his reasons," I stated softly, "I think that I'm the only person outside the royal court who knows the real reason why he is chasing Aang and how he got that scar," I replied softly. The somber expression on my face seemed to be contagious as soon enough all my friends looked equally serious.

"So... what happened to him?" Sokka asked. I chewed my lip.

"I don't think I have the right to divulge it all... but Zuko never had a good relationship with his father. He was always considered the disappointment of the royal family. Zuko was allowed into his father's war room one day and argued against using an entire battalion as bait. It ended with Zuko being banished with a fresh scar over his eye." Katara's reaction was immediate as she clued in. I hadn't been quite as subtle as I thought I had been.

"His father.... did that to him," I didn't reply, but my silence was answer enough. We were quiet for a long time. I could see how sickened my friends were at what I had just revealed.

"Just... don't ever tell him we know. Let him tell us himself if he wants to." I insisted to them, "I probably shouldn't have told you any of that."

"But then why would he try to catch Aang, why was he so important."

"What better way to break a person then convince them that they deserved what they got and then send them out on a hopeless mission. A mission that after two and a half years turned out to not be futile as it was thought to be."

"They told him to look for the avatar, and if he caught me, his honor would be restored," Aang stated, connecting the pieces of the many conversations he had with Zuko.

"That's sick." Katara snapped, blue eyes filled with anger and determination, "What sort of father is Ozai anyway? The spirits damn him." I blinked at Katara in surprise. She looked ready to tear right into the fire lord herself. I smiled.

"Like I said, don't tell him, don't treat him as someone to be pitied. Treat him as you would one of us." The silence stretched on for a while. Finally, Aang broke the silence.

"So what can you tell me about my earthbending teacher?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ashvattha - sacred banyan tree - fig tree   
> \- Gives visions of those we believe we have lost (not necessarily died). If connected to the spirit world such as the Avatar you can see visions of ones that you may meet in the future.
> 
> So tell me what you think? How was this chapter? Sorry, that is is another short one but there were some pretty major steps taken in this one. What do you think about Maddi spilling Zuko's secrets? What do you think about her vision? Please review, I love hearing from you.   
> Princess Kassie Out.


	29. No One Beats Toph

The town that Toph lived in was one of the cleaner ones we had visited. It was only bested by Aunt Wu's village who had used flower beds to hide the lack of plumbing. It was rather clever what Aunt Wu had done putting flowerbeds under each window so that when someone dumped out the chamber pot or bath water it was dumped into the flower beds. It was a natural fertilizer, and it kept the town clean and beautiful. This town had ditches carved into the sides of the road where the much could drain away into the sewers. To cross the roads, there were large square rocks at the corners of the 'sidewalks' short enough and with enough space that carriages could pass through easily.

As we walked through the streets, Sokka's eyes were drawn to a shop. In the front was a green bag with the earth kingdom coin sewn onto the front. He was inside the shop quicker than I could say Avatar. Katara, Aang and I looked at each other and followed him in. While Aang debated with Katara and Aang over getting himself the bag, I allowed my thoughts to wander. It had been two days since the swamp, and I couldn't get that little girl out of my head. She looked like me, so much like me, it was hard to try to figure out who her father was. There were so many men that could potentially be the one. My closest hints were what she was wearing, a blue dress and red ribbons. This was frustrating, for all I knew her entire outfit could be gifts from her family. I could totally see Sokka doting on any child. I shook my head, I was seventeen and thinking about my child. That made me pause, actually according to what I figured I was probably almost eighteen if I wasn't already. My mind drifted back to my daughter with one question floating through my mind. What was her name? What had I named her? Would I have more children? Would I have a boy?

"Pala? What do you think?"

"Sure," I replied absentmindedly. The normal names I had wanted back when I had been in my world weren't going to work too well here. David and Mariah were pretty clearly not from this world.

"You aren't even listening." Sokka pointed out. I looked up at him.

"The bag is nice. Buy it."

"Okay now you're just cheating off your knowledge aren't you?" I sniggered slightly before vanishing back into my thoughts. What would be my top names be for children here? June was an option it was a name from my world as well as this one. However, it reminded me too much of the bounty hunter, and I wasn't exactly a fan. After a few more moments I realized all the names I was coming up with belonged to someone in the franchise. Giving it up for a lost cause I dragged myself out of my thoughts of children and returned my attention back to Sokka. He was buying the bag, Aang beside him. Katara though was looking at me thoughtfully.

"So what are you thinking about?" She asked casually. I opened my mouth and realized that I didn't have an answer. After all saying 'I'm thinking about the guy I'm going to marry' wasn't exactly the sign of a strong independent woman.

"My daughter," I replied after a moment. Katara nodded thoughtfully. I had told my friends about seeing a little girl who called me mom. As my vision. I couldn't exactly not tell them after Katara had admitted to seeing her mother.

"You want to know who you had her with?" Katara asked. I blinked in surprise looking at her questioningly.

"How do you know?"

"Because that's what I would be doing in your situation." She explained, "Besides, you probably want to get married soon, right? And if you can figure it out then it will make everything a lot easier." I frowned.

"Why would I want to get married..." I trailed off, remembering. Already I had been called an old maid by someone. At the time I had thought he was just insulting me. Now however it occurred to me that women got married a lot younger here. Technically Katara was old enough to get promised to someone or even married. By sixteen most girls were married in the earth kingdom. You were considered unable to be married if you were thirty or older. A permanent old maid.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to marry yet Katara. Back where I come from if you marry when you're twenty it's unusual. Most people marry when they're in their mid-twenties to thirties. We have pretty long lives though because of our technology, so we have more time than the average person here." I paused.

"Actually for some reason benders live to be about the same age as people in my time or even older," Katara's eyes became distant as she thought about what I had said. A smile tugged at my lips.

"So what about you and Aang?" Katara jolted out of her thoughts. Turning to look at me I noticed her face had become slightly darker and gained a red tone. She was blushing and quite heavily.

"I... I don't know." She admitted with a light stutter. It reminded me how old she was. Katara was only fourteen. She was going to feel awkward when approaching a relationship.

"I've seen the way you look at him. You like him." I stated frankly. Katara's blush deepened. I chuckled and gave the young teen a break.

"You know the way you look at him reminds me of the way he looked at you when he first met you." After dropping that little bomb, I walked over to talk to Sokka, leaving the gobsmacked waterbender behind me.

* * *

Even though the deed was done and Sokka had bought the bag he was still debating on whether it had been a good choice or not. An earthbending teacher was advertised, but Aang had turned it down, instead of asking if there was an earthbending master about his age. The guy had laughed, proclaiming that the only earthbending master who was teaching was Master Yu. Aang wandered away, disappointed.

"So where is she?" He asked me. I smiled lightly.

"Don't worry you'll find her soon enough. Trust your gut." Aang nodded, thinking back to what he had seen.

"I think The Boulder is going to win back the belt at Earth Rumble 6."

"He's going to have to fight his way through some of the best earthbenders to do it, though." Aang's face lit up like the fourth of July.  
"Excuse me, but where is this earthbending tournament exactly?" He cried as he rushed over. The boys grinned. I knew they weren't going to give Aang anything.

"On the island of nonya - none of ya business." The boys walked off laughing. I watched a knowing smirk on my face as Katara chased after the boys.

* * *

Earth Rumble Six was surprisingly easy to find. It was in a cave, down a passageway into a vast underground cavern which had been adjusted by benders to suit their purpose. No one sat in the first fifteen rows, choosing to sit back almost near the top of the cavern. I understood their reasons, but I found myself sitting with my friends in the seventh row.

"I wonder why no one sits here," Aang stated. I flinched away as a boulder at least ten times as large as I was slam into the seats beside us.

"Maybe that's why?" Sokka suggested. Katara sent me a worried look.

"Is that going to happen again?" She asked nervously.

"No, we're fine," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Katara nodded and settled back, not looking too comfortable either. The leader of the ring, a big man with a cruel face and long black hair that fell in greasy strings took center stage, bending a pedestal for him to stand on. Something about his appearance unnerved me. Perhaps it was the fact that I knew he was eventually going to be hired to chase down Toph.

"Welcome to Earth Rumble Six!" He bellowed, his voice echoing through the cavern.

"I am your host, Xin Fu." Katara twitched beside me, turning curiously I raised an eyebrow to my friend.

"What's wrong?"

"This is just going to be a bunch of guys throwing rocks at each other isn't it?"

"That's what I paid for." Sokka proclaimed in excitement. I laughed then turned to Katara.

"To be honest, that is exactly what it will be at first. However, they do save the best for the last." I added, smiling slightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aang perk up.

Despite my pleasure at seeing Aang's reaction I quickly zoned out after the Hippo's arrival. It just wasn't interesting for me. Aang and Sokka were both quite interested, but just like me, Katara wasn't particularly interested. It wasn't until Xin Fu shouted that I came out of my reverie.

"The Blind Bandit."

"That's her!" I exclaimed, jerking out of my half-unconscious state. Aang grinned.

"I know." Katara straightened, eyes drifting back to the ring.

"Wait, she can't really be blind... can she? I mean it is just part of her character."  
"Nope," I corrected. "Toph's blind, it's what ends up making her the best earth bender in a few hundred years. She also creates a new form of bending."

"She what?" Katara asked me in shock. I didn't reply.

"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl." The Boulder stated. Toph grinned wickedly and pointed right at the Boulder.

"It sounds to me that you're scared, Boulder." The Boulder frowned as though unsure of how to treat the attack. Finally, he replied.

"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanch!" Toph snorted.

"Whatever you say... The Pebble." Then she laughed, and any doubts that Aang might have had were gone.

* * *

Toph

I smirked at my cue, hefting the cold metal above my head, my fingers pressed against the cool firmness. The etchings stuck out forming the symbol of the Earth Kingdom, a symbol I knew well. A platform of earth pushed me up from the cavern below the ring. Dirt imprinted itself into the soles of my feet and Xin Fu's old, rough, voice blared as I passed the earth that formed the floor of the ring.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Boulder versus your champion..." Xin Fu's overpowering voice rang out. He always liked hearing the sound of his voice.

As the earth I was on joined seamlessly to the rest I could feel the racing hearts, the roar of the crowd. Exhilaration. I narrowed my focus. I could feel the two girls beside me. Holding something and judging by the lack of extra weight probably feathers or cloth.

"The Blind Bandit."

"It's her!" I heard the voice of a young woman cry. There were four people sitting in the seventh row. I snickered. Pretty brave sitting that close, some matches could be quite physical. The feeling of the girls moving brought my attention back to the ring. Judging from the change in the way they stood, they were dropping their arms to reveal me. I was still holding the belt, but two of the girls approached, taking the belt and fastening it around my waist. I couldn't remember their names, not that they were that important. The familiar form of the metal pressed against my stomach. I could feel the weight of The Boulder standing almost directly in front of me, four strides away. He needed to lose some weight soon. Otherwise, he and The Hippo would become impossible to tell apart. A wicked smile twisted my lips. I was ready to get started. Of course, The Boulder couldn't help but put on a show.

"The Boulder feels conflicted fighting a young, blind girl," he wanted a show? Sure, why not. I'd give him his little show.

"It sounds to me that you're scared, Boulder." I teased. I was on my game.

"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanch!" I snorted. A rock-a-lanch? Was he kidding? He didn't deserve a retort.

"Whatever you say... The Pebble." My finger pointing at him. His voice, along with the weight in his feet let me know exactly where he was. I couldn't help myself. The jibe was just too easy. He was setting himself up for failure with a name like that. Just for effect, I added a laugh. I wasn't scared or intimidated by him. I could beat him in my sleep.

"It's on." I fell silent. Becoming serious and focusing in on what was about to happen. He started one of his battle cries. I could feel all his weight shift onto his back foot. The second the heel of his front foot impacted, sending vibrations through the earth, I took action. The waves told me exactly where he was and based on his position I knew what his attack would be. More importantly, I knew the quickest way to take him down. I flipped the palms of my hands faced up and swept my left foot over the ground, the thick, hard pads rasping against the rock. My vibrations were more subtle than his. I could feel them reach him, not that he was aware. He wasn't in tune with the earth. He just moved it.

I could feel his weight shift again. He was about to thrust his foot into the ground to create a boulder. His signature movement from the time I had 'watched' him. The opponents weren't supposed to know the moves of the challenger, but I had the advantage. No one was careful because I was blind and no one knew how I could bend so well without sight. I was able to pick up a few things just by standing under the ring. My foot slid off the ground and rose into the air before I thrust it into the ground. I could feel the soil creeping under my toenails and the lines on my feet as well as the force pushing through the ground to meet his foot as it lowered. He was swung to the side, forced painfully into the splits by my bending. He howled in pain and I struggled to keep my face passive. He sounded like a sick gopher-dog. I remembered how when I was younger my father had made a similar sound when I had rushed to hug him and slammed my head into a particular part of his body. Apparently, men not only treasured that part, but it was also extremely sensitive. Huh, and they think girls are weak. I allowed him to nearly finish his cry before I ended it, sliding across the ground and sending three pillars of dirt to throw him out of the ring. He hit the wall with a resounding thud. I allowed my cold demeanor to fall away as I grinned. No one could beat me.

"Your winner and still the champion the Blind Bandit." I threw my hand into the air. Sure the entire thing was rigged except the last battle, but I didn't care. I had been the champion for three rounds now, ever since I beat the previous champion. I had come down here to watch the Earth Rumble Three. When the option for a challenger arose, I took it in a heartbeat. I kicked that guy off the stage almost faster then I had The Boulder.

Xin Fu jumped down from his podium. I ignored his entrance. I knew the drill by now. He would offer gold to someone who could beat me I would defeat them. Though no one had challenged me for the last two Earth Rumbles, so I doubted anyone was about to anytime soon.

"I'll do it."

Maybe I was wrong. I reached out with my bending and realized it was one of the people in the seventh row. A boy about my age, based on his voice. As he walked up, I noticed how light he was. Was a featherweight challenging me? Maybe I should go easy on him I didn't want to hurt the kid after all. Well, perhaps I could make him back down. If he changed his mind, I might let him go.

"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" I proclaimed. The familiar sound of the crowd oohing in response to my mocking just made me grin wider.

"I don't want to fight you." Was he kidding? Or was he giving up so soon?

"I want to talk to you." He was serious.

"Boo! No talking!" Another guy in the seventh row cried. It sounded like this guy's friend wasn't the supportive type. I felt the boy step forward. Well, I might as well finish this off right away. I moved to send him flying into the air... and he disappeared. While he should have done that, something wasn't right. There hadn't been any weight under the small pillar. I should have felt him go flying. Instead, it felt like he had just stepped off and into thin air.

It was only the faintest of vibrations that alerted me to the touch of his feet directly behind me. He might actually be a threat.

"Someone's a little light on their feet. What's your fighting name, The Fancy Dancer?" I shot out. I didn't bother to make my voice loud enough for everyone. This was just between him and me now. I didn't let him reply, sending another pillar of rock, this one much larger under him. This time, I did feel him get shot away. He didn't impact. I turned my head, trying to feel where he was while at the same time my ears strained for the slightest sound.

"Nowhere'd you go?" I muttered to myself.

"Please wait." He was behind me. I hadn't even felt vibrations on the ground that time. He was defiantly a real threat, and I wasn't going to play games anymore. My reputation relied on me winning this challenge. If I lost that would be the end of my career and Xin Fu would be furious. I could care less about Xin Fu, but I didn't want to lose this. It was the only thing stopping me from going crazy up there.

"There you are." I spun around, forming a boulder and thrusting it in his direction. Perhaps a new tactic would work. The next thing I knew A strong gust of air knocked me over and sent me sailing into the ditch. I didn't wait, I stood up and began walking away. My physical pain was nothing, but my pride was bruised, and I was furious. It was over I would have to find some other way of bending, and I would forever be known as the champion defeated by a lightweight. I was disguised and humiliated. Striding off I headed for the wall and my way home.

"Please listen. I need an earthbending master, and you're the one who needs to teach me." The boy said. Yeah right. Like I was ever going to accept even his name after this. I wasn't going to teach him earthbending. He seemed to be okay on his own anyway.

"Whoever you are. Just leave me alone." I replied sharply. I didn't care I was getting out of here. I opened a cavern in the wall and slammed it shut before he could reach me.

* * *

Maddi

"Well, that went well," I stated. Aang was looking downright furious with himself. Sokka too seemed to have become more serious now that Aang appeared to have lost his chance at an earthbending teacher.

"What do you mean that went well?" Aang asked miserably, "I ruined my chances."

"No, you didn't." I comforted him, "You have what you need to find her. Just put your head to it." Aang's brow furrowed in thought as he remembered his vision.

"The flying boar." He murmured he hurried over to a young man standing on the street corner.

"Excuse me I'm looking for a girl. Dark hair, a white dress and a pet flying boar?" The man shook his head.

"Sorry, I haven't seen anyone like that. But I'll keep an eye out okay?" Aang nodded and moved on. It was his fifth person who made the connection.

"Well, the flying boar is the symbol of the Bei Fong family. They're the richest people in town and the only ones who could afford an actual flying boar." Suddenly it hit me, and I began to laugh. Why had I never made the connection before?

"What's so funny?" Sokka asked me in utter confusion.

"The flying boar," I explained, "In other words, the symbol of the Bei Fong Family is a flying pig!" I couldn't believe that I had never really made that connection when I had watched the show. It was only now that I was living in their world that I realized that. Sokka sent me the strangest look, but Aang just shook his head. He was too happy to care particularly.

* * *

The Bei Fong estates were huge, sprawling gardens and a huge two story tall house. Inside it was even more beautiful. We were sneaking around when a huge section of earth lifted, shooting us into the air. Katara and Aang landed in bushes while Sokka and I hit the dirt.

"What are you doing here Twinkletoes." I snickered, standing up.

"How'd you know it was me?" Aang asked, pulling himself out of the bush.

"Don't answer to Twinkletoes it's not manly," Sokka argued as he sat up. Katara, of course, being a younger sister had to start a bickering match.

"Not manly? You're the one who's bag matches his belt," Katara retorted. I could almost hear Toph not caring as she continued to question Aang.

"How'd you find me?"

"Well, you see... I had a vision and my friend helped me figure it out." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck with a guilty smile. A single eyebrow raised from Toph.

"What Aang means to say is he's the avatar, and you're supposed to teach him earthbending." KatarToph turned away.

"Not my problem, now get out before I have to call the guards."

"Toph listen-" I started only to have the girl whirl around.

"How do you know my name? Have you been spying on me?" I grimaced. Great, more trouble for us to deal with. At least she hadn't called the guards yet.

"No, listen I know this sounds strange but... I'm well, sort of Aang's spiritual guide. I'm helping him with all the avatar stuff. Anyway, I know that you're the one to be his bending teacher. Who else could do it but the greatest earth bender of our generation?" I hoped that stroking Toph's ego would help somewhat, maybe make her more willing to listen. Toph looked absolutely delighted to be referred to as such.

"I am the greatest aren't I?" She turned back to us, facing me. Her blank eyes were staring directly at me. It was a little unnerving, but I plowed ahead.

"Yep. Listen to me Toph. We need you. You're stifled here your family thinks you're weak. Maybe you can prove to them that you are strong and powerful and that just because your blind it doesn't mean you're useless." I could see Toph thinking about it. She seemed to lose her pride after a while, and she shook her head.

"I need to go. I'll think about it." What had left her so upset? I didn't understand. She turned and walked away leaving the four of us alone.

* * *

We were seated across from the table. Toph's father was at the head of the table with his wife on his right side. Toph was on his left side and master Yu to her left. I for some reason had been placed beside Yu while Katara was adjacent to me. On her right was Sokka who had Aang on his right. Each seat had a specific meaning. The top was for the head of the house, the father and the direct right was for the mother. The direct left of the father was the eldest son who was only given up if the family had no boys. Then it went to the oldest girl. After that, the placement was for the guests. The highest for the most esteemed guest, then male guests and lastly, female guests. The food was served, hot and steaming. Toph's meal was served last, but her father seemed determined that it was still too hot and told a servant to blow on it. Instead, Aang used his bending to cool it, much to Toph's annoyance. After Aang's little show Ms. Bei Fong addressed us.

"Avatar Aang, it is an honor to have you visit us." Toph's mother was quite pretty, her face usually pale from the white makeup on it. For me, it was a little fake, the thick eyeshadow, the white face and the rich colored lips were just overdone. However, I also understood how in this world pale was beautiful.

"In your opinion, how much longer will the war last?" Toph's father added. He wore elegant clothes that were more simplistic than his wife. He had two whiskers that fell from just above either side of his mouth and were oiled, so it appeared that one thick hair fell from each side. I twitched in distaste I understood that everyone wanted to get rid of the war, but he and his family were thriving, they were not suffering as Haru had. They had no idea how lucky they were.

"Well I'm hoping to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer, but I'll need an earthbending teacher to do that."

Toph's father smiled warmly and gestured at the man to my right.

"Well, master Yu is the finest earthbending teacher in this part of the earth kingdom. He's been teaching Toph since she was little."

"That's a kind suggestion," I broke in before Aang could stick his foot in his mouth, "But I'm afraid we're looking for someone who would be able to travel with us, someone who could be mobile and handle the stresses of being consistently perused." I wanted to make our traveling sound undesirable to him and at the same time interesting to Toph.

"I am sure I can handle whatever a few children can," Master Yu replied. I bristled. Oh, he was going down. Sokka seemed to notice my anger because he quickly began shaking his head, warning me away from offending the man. I gritted my teeth and gave a very fake smile.

"Oh, I'm sure you could handle it. After all, all we have to worry about is the fire nation hunting us, helping Aang master all four elements by the end of summer, and dealing with vengeful spirits." I left it there, but I could sense Yu's discomfort.

After dinner, we were given two beautiful guest chambers to be split between the four of us. Despite the kindness, Katara and I ended up setting up in the boy's room. I hadn't realized it, but I couldn't imagine not being close to Aang and Sokka. It made me worried for the future, what would happen after the war? Would I continue to travel with my friends or would I settle down with the man who I was to have my daughter with?

"Can I talk to you?" Aang and I jumped. As our backs had been turned away from the door, neither of us had noticed her. Aang looked nervous but nodded once before remembering she couldn't see the motion.

"Sure."

As Aang and Toph walked away, I felt a hint of worry. Would they be okay? Should I interfere and change this outcome as well? After a moment I decided against it. I knew how this would turn out and it was needed to show Toph how her father wasn't going to be able to see her as anything more than a child.

* * *

The next morning the ransom note was found, and we set off to the Earth Rumble stadium. I watched silently as Toph was let down but the fighting group decided to keep Aang as he would earn them a lot of money. It took everything in my power to not interfere and let the events play out as they should. I only got involved in helping to get Aang out of the metal contraption that held him prisoner along with Sokka and Katara.

Returning to Toph's house was awkward and uncomfortable for me. I didn't like this and was all too happy just to leave right here and now. Toph stood in front of her parents and for the first time in a long time told them the whole truth.

"Dad, I know its hard for you to see me this way, but the obedient helpless little blind girl you see isn't me. I love fighting. I love being an earthbender. And I'm good at it. I know I kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me from the whole world." She paused, and her head rose slightly.

"You were doing it to keep me safe, I know, but I don't want to be safe my entire life. But I'm twelve, and I've never had a friend before. So now you see who I really am I hope it doesn't change the way you think about me." I winced as her father spoke.

"It hasn't changed the way I look at you Toph, in fact, it had made something very clear to me. You've had way too much freedom. From now on you'll be cared and guarded for twenty-four hours a day."

"Dad!" Toph cried.

"That is final Toph." He turned, looking at us with cold eyes.

"Please escort the avatar and his friends out. They are no longer welcome at our house." We left Toph crying behind us and walked out the door. As soon as it was closed, Aang looked at me.

"She'll follow." I comforted, "Just give her some time."

To my surprise, we hadn't even made it to Appa when she came running.

"Toph? What are you doing here?" Aang asked, surprised. Toph grinned.

"My dad changed his mind. I can go." Both Katara and Sokka sent looks at me. I nodded slightly confirming the lie for what it was.

"Well, we better get going before he changes his mind again," Sokka added, gesturing to Appa. I laughed, excited that our journey was back on track.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For those of you wondering what happened to Avatar Day the truth is that I decided to skip writing it. That part of the story did not pertain to my plot, and personally, I don't particularly like that episode. I decided it would be better to have a chapter that was smooth and well written and was important to the plot than to have one that the author struggled with writing and was choppy and rough. Also, any changes that might have happened there would also not affect the storyline. I want to know what you think. Did I do a good job with Toph? Was she true to character? What did you think of this chapter overall?


	30. Rebirth

Zuko

Sweat poured down my back as I rode the ostrich-horse. I could feel myself waver. I needed to stop and eat, but I had no idea how far the nearest village was. My mind wandered to my uncle, and I wondered what he was doing. Was he worried about me? Still, I needed to be on my own for a while. I needed to clear my head, regain my identity.

_"Tea tastes just as good whether it is in a ceramic or clay teapot Zuko." Uncle had stated softly, looking at the gift I had given him along with his ostrich-horse. The minor earth kingdom noble could survive without the money, we couldn't. I had also taken his animal and bought the gift for my uncle. He deserved something nice._

_"I just wanted…" I trailed off, I didn't know how to explain what I had been thinking._

_"I need some time." I finally said._

_"Of course, when can I expect you back?" I paused._

_"I… I don't know… Uncle, I think… that we need to part ways for a while." I could see the disappointment in his eyes as well as the quiet acceptance. I began to walk away, then turned back, crossed the small distance of our campsite and pulled my uncle into a hug._

_"I'll be back," I promised quietly as his strong arms wrapped around me tightly._

_"Please do." He whispered back, his rough voice catching slightly._

My eyesight blurred, and I nearly fell off Chong. The ostrich-horse made a little gasping noise and changed his gait. I looked up and sighed in relief. It was a town, a small one but a town nonetheless.   
Relieved, I tapped Chong and cantered into town. The place was filthy, and it seemed almost deserted. The few people who did wander the streets looked worn down and defeated. My eyes were drawn to a small stall that was open nearby. Walking towards it, leading Chong behind me I spoke to the merchant.

"I'd like some water, A bag of feed and a hot meal." I turned over the last of the coins I had. I had left the majority with Uncle. The merchant looked at the coins then up to me.

"I'm sorry, there's not enough for that hot meal, but I can get you two bags of feed and refill your water skin," he said, I nodded. I'd have to find some other way to get food. My stomach rumbled in compliant. I passed the coins to the merchant, ignoring the hunger that gnawed at my stomach. There was a giggle beside me, I turned slightly, catching a glimpse of two boys holding an egg. I had a creeping suspicion I knew what was going on but I looked away. Less then a moment later there was a distinctive splat of an egg hitting someone's head.

"Hey!" The person yelled. I carefully kept my back to them, waiting.

"You, stranger, did you throw that egg."

"No," I replied, turning slowly. Five earth kingdom soldiers stood in front of me. One of them had egg in his hair.

"Did you see who did?" The tallest and the apparent leader asked.

"I'm afraid not," I replied blandly. Something told me that if I even thought of fighting back, I would be in trouble. The leader, a tall man wearing a metal hat similar to my straw one narrowed his eyes.

"Well someone had to have thrown it."

"Perhaps a chicken flew overhead," I responded, doing my best to lack all emotion. One of the leader's men laughed but quickly fell silent at the angry looks from his companions. At that moment the merchant came back with two bags of feed and my water skin. I turned back only to find an earth kingdom soldier taking the feed I had paid for.

"Thank you for your contribution to the army." He leered, taking off like a shot. The leader smirked.

"You better leave stranger, the price of staying is higher than you can afford." He tapped a large metal hammer that hung by his side. He turned then and left.

"They're supposed to protect us from the fire nation, but they're little better than thugs," I frowned, it wasn't uncommon what this town was dealing with. It also wasn't my problem. I turned to mount Chong, and the head of a young boy appeared from behind the saddle.

"Thanks for not ratting me out," I grunted and climbed onto Chong, ignoring the kid. He, however, had other plans.

"Here, I can take you to my home and feed your ostrich-horse. It's the least I can do," I didn't argue. The horse needed feeding as I did. My stomach growled in agreement.

_Sitting in the healing hut, I watched the girl spread the green paste over my uncle's swelling body. My stomach twisted at his disfigured form._

_"You must not be from around here." She stated, "We know better not to touch the white jade, let alone make tea and drink it," Uncle gave a sheepish smile at her words._

_"So what are your names strangers? I'm Song by the way," she said while still tending to my uncle. I froze and desperately searched for two names._

_"I'm... Lee! And this is my uncle...." I trailed off. I had no idea what to name my uncle, Iroh._

_"...Mushi." Uncle Iroh leaned around Song and sent me a pointed glare. He wasn't pleased with the new name and was probably well aware of the fact that it came from his current appearance._

_"Yes, my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior."_

_"Junior and Mushi huh?" Song asked, turning to look at me. I quickly hid my furious expression behind a placid one._

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the loud cries of several animals. I had been lead to a farm by the boy, Lee. Turning to look at me he shrugged.

"No one can ever sneak up on us," He explained.

"No kidding," I responded, looking at the several dozen noisy animals. A rooster pig flew over and shrieked in protest.

Two people walked out of the wooden house. I assumed them to be Lee's parents. The woman looked tired, bags under her eyes, her shoulders slumped. She brightened slightly upon seeing her son. Beside her, a man, firm and resolute came to stand beside her. Lee rushed up, grinning excitedly. As he over exaggerated my encounter with the 'soldiers,' I found myself sinking back into memory.

_"I haven't seen my father in a long time," Song stated, looking down sadly._

_"Neither have I," I admitted. The last time I had seen him was when his blazing fist was coming at my face._

_"Oh, is he fighting in the war too?"_

_"Yes," I replied. What else could I say? That he was a cruel monarch who burned his son? When had I begun to think of my father as cruel? Disturbed by both the conversation and my thoughts I stood and walked out of the house. I sat down, leaning against the wood frame. A moment later Song joined me._

_"I'm sorry. I didn't think. I guess it's a sensitive topic." She took a step forward and stopped then sat down beside me._

_"The fire nation hurt me too." She pulled up a loose pant leg exposing a burn running up her leg. It became fainter as it moved away from her ankle. I stared in shock. The wound around her ankle wasn't as old as mine, maybe a year old. Slowly my mind made the connections. The burn on her ankle to cripple her or slow her down. The age of her scar. Her loose fitting clothes… I felt a chill crawl down my spine. I had heard of fire nation soldiers taking earth kingdom women as conquests. Some of the stories were about girls much younger than Song, but this was the first time I had seen the effects of what many soldiers thought as their right. It was the first time I had thought of those women as people. It left me unsettled._

_"I'm sorry."_

"Does this stranger have a name?" I turned to look at Lee's parents.

"I'm…" I paused. What name could I use?

"Don't pry Sela, if he doesn't want to tell us his name then he doesn't have to. Anyone who can stand up to those bullies is welcome in our home."

I ended up helping build the roof on the barn, earning a free meal and a place to sleep for myself and Chong.

I woke up to the sound of the barn door squeaking. Sitting up I looked around, from what I could see there was nothing to be alarmed over. Still, I wasn't taking the chance that I was wrong. I reached for my swords only to find them missing. Worry coursed through me. I stood and walked out of the barn. I could feel myself relax as the small form of Lee slipped away, my swords in hand. He was just a kid wanting to check out a type of weapon he had never seen before. I understood that most boys around his age would do the same thing. I watched his attempts of fighting with it from a little distance before moving to intervene.

"You're holding them wrong." Lee tripped in surprise, dropping the swords and turning to look at me in shock. I didn't knowledge his embarrassment knowing that would only make it worse. Instead, I picked up my blades and showed him how to use them.

"Just like all swords, these are an extension of your arm. Your problem was you were treating them as separate weapons. It is one weapon, like a double-headed spear." I turned and passed the duel swords to Lee. He quickly slipped into the movements that I had shown him, sliding through each step like a dance. He was talented, he reminded me of my first time handling the blades.

"That's enough for tonight," I stated, taking my swords back. Lee grinned at me, the gap from his missing tooth drawing my attention.

"I think you would like my brother. He used to show me stuff like this all the time." I looked at Lee for a moment.

"Maybe I would,"

_"What is it?" Song asked, noticing my eyes fixed on her ostrich-horse._

_"I was just thinking," I replied. My thoughts were on how much faster uncle and I could travel with an animal. Part of me wanted to just take the animal but I couldn't. What was there that we had to move quickly for? The only person was the Avatar, but I didn't know what I would do if I did meet Aang again. My thoughts were also on the rebellion. Where could I find it?_

_"His name is Chong," Song stated, looking at the animal._

_"He helped us escape from our village after the fire nation attacked. He's still useful to go to market but... I think you need him more than I do." I looked at Song in shock. She sent me a sad smile._

_"You're still trying to find your place in the world." She explained, "Chong helped me find mine maybe he can help you find yours."_

* * *

The next morning I was ready to leave. Lee's mother had given me a small parcel of leftovers that would last me until I reached the next town. I was thanking her when the animals started squealing. Turning towards the sound, I saw a dust cloud approaching as the four soldiers who protected the town came flying up to meet us. Smirking, the leader nudged his ostrich-horse ahead of the rest.

"What do you want Gow?" Lee's father snapped, coming to stand with his family in a protective stance. Gow smirked.

"Just thought someone ought to tell you, your son's battalion got captured." He turned to his team. "You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"

"Dressed them up in Fire Nation uniforms and put them on the front line unarmed the way I heard it. Then they just watched," A quiver of rage ran through my body. How dare they mock these people.

"You watch your mouth," Lee's father snarled. I didn't wait for things to escalate. I rode forward, blocking the family from the pathetic excuses for men who were before us. My disgust only grew when they quickly made their excuse and rode away. Cowards. They wouldn't protect anyone from the fire nation. I had a sickening feeling in my gut telling me that the second they saw a flame, they would run for the hills, tails between their legs.

"What happened to my brother?" Lee asked nervously. His father turned to his mother.

"I'm going to the front. I'll get Sen Su and bring him back,"

I said nothing. As Lee's father turned to grab his own ostrich-horse Lee came to me.

"Will you stay? Just until my father comes back?" I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, I need to keep going." I paused. Making a split second decision, I leaned over and handed Lee something I treasured greatly. My knife.

"Read it." I insisted gently. Lee pulled off the cover.

"Made in the earth kingdom."

"The other side." I corrected.

"Never give up without a fight," he smiled at me, gap-toothed, and rushed back towards his home.

* * *

I hadn't been gone for more than an hour and already I was returning to the village. Part of me regretted giving the knife to Lee. I had told Sela about my gift after she told me what happened. She had been upset at first but had quickly forgiven me.

"You seem to like my son quite a lot." She stated finally. She paused then before adding.she offered. I looked at her in surprise.

"Thank you for the offer, but I can't accept," I responded softly. I didn't know what she would say if she knew who I was. Besides, I couldn't live the rest of my life in a lie. I had spent too much time like that already. Sela nodded, disappointed.

The moment I entered town I noticed the crowd. Lee was tied to the water tower in the center of the town square.

"There he is! I told you he'd come!" Lee called, excited to see me. I ignored his cry. Instead, I dismounted Chong and handed him to Sela than I stepped forward, face tilted towards the cowards I spoke.

"Let the kid go," my voice was firm, strict and a warning all in one. Gow just laughed. Out of all of them, he had the most backbone as he was the ringleader. He was the one who would be the biggest challenge.

"Who do you think you are telling us what to do?" He retorted. I glowered and responded, contempt clear in my voice.

"It doesn't matter who I am, but I know who you are. You're not soldiers. You're bullies. Freeloaders, abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army. You're just sick cowards messing with a family who have already lost one son to the war," I saw Sela flinch out of the corner of my eye. I didn't know whether it was true, but there was a good chance that it was. Once again Gow proved exactly how much of a coward he was. Instead of fighting me himself like a man he turned to one of his friends.

"Are you going to let him talk to you like that?"

I didn't even move as the man rushed forward. Only when he was close enough did I pull out the hilt of my duel swords and knock the air out of him. True to his nature the man took off running. Gow sent out his other men. Both were dealt with quickly.

Gow stepped forward, pulling out his two war hammers. I felt my blood turn cold when he dropped into a bending stance. He was an earthbender. If I was restricted to only my swords, this would be a tough battle. The fight started. Slicing through the earth with my swords, coming forward to try to hit him.

I lost myself in the fight. My sole focus being just to cut Gow once. If I managed that, I had little doubt that he would take off running. I barely heard the warning from Lee. The earth rumbled, knocking me off balance. Taking advantage of my stumbling Gow threw a large chunk of stone at me. The last thing I felt was my back slamming into the ground.

I came to what must have only been a minute or so later. Shooting upright I attacked Gow with a new fervor. He began to bend, but I wasn't going to let him win. With a cry of fury, I shot a single bolt of fire at him. Gow jumped in shock, staggering back and off balance. I lunged forward, sending him flying into a building. As I approached, he looked up, fear in his eyes.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Zuko! Son of Ursa and Ozai! Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne!" Silence. Then finally someone broke the silence.

"Liar! I've heard of you! You're no price. You're an outcast. Your own father burnt your face," I spun. Confidence that I had never felt before spread through my body like fire.

"I am no liar. My father burned and banished me but do you know the reason? Because I challenged him on the decision to slaughter loyal men and women for a pointless war! And because of my banishment I've been able to see that the Fire Nation is wrong. The four nations should remain as they are, what Sozin saw as the Fire Nation's right was the rambling of a madman," I took a breath, looking around to see the shock on the faces of all those around me. 

I didn't know where that speech had come from, but somehow I knew it was true. I turned my back to the crowd and walked towards Lee. No one moved. I slowly untied the knot and let the rope fall away. I took a step back from the shocked expression on the boy's face and held out the knife.

"It's yours," I stated softly. I hoped that my sincerity was clear to see. I watched Lee passively, letting him make the decision. There was still silence. I had the strange feeling that Lee's choice would determine the choice of the rest of the village. Slowly Lee reached forward and took the knife. It was a quiet, unsure acceptance but it was enough.

I smiled slightly as I stood, walking back towards Sela and taking Chong from her hands I walked away.

I didn't look back.


	31. Exhaustion

Maddi

We were stopping for dinner and bed when Appa shook, and bison fur flew everywhere. I shook my head and launched myself from the saddle, a trick that most of us had taken to. Toph was right behind me.

"Wow, you guys chose a great campsite. The grass is so soft here."

"That's bison fur," I corrected, "spring means shedding." I had to agree with her, though, the fur was incredibly soft.

"Oh gross," Katara muttered trying to keep the hair off her. Good luck, I found myself thinking, anyone who was a pet owner knew just how hopeless that particular battle was. While Sokka, Aang, and Toph played in the fur and Katara was distracted by their antics I focused on setting up camp. It was a duty I had become well antiquated with. Normally, we would all work together, but tonight we needed to have some extra time in bed. Katara was the first to notice and quickly she, Sokka and Aang joined me. Toph didn't seem to care, exploring the area and getting a sense of the place.

We were almost done when Katara realized that Toph hadn't helped at all.

"Hey, Toph-"

"Katara, can you pass the bowls?" I quickly interjected. Of course, Katara wasn't going to let go of something once she had seen fit to change it.

"Toph, can you get Maddi the bowls?"

"Never mind," I called, spooning out the soup into the wooden bowls. After a moment I called to everyone.

"Dinners ready," I wasn't unsurprised that Toph didn't join us for dinner. I was well aware of the pack that she had brought with her. But I also knew that her own food would run out in less than a week. It was Sokka who had told me though I had no idea how he knew. For someone who was blind, Toph sure knew how to keep things hidden from view.

We headed to bed early upon my insistence. My friends didn't argue though Toph looked disgusted. Katara did too actually, although I suspected it was for other reasons.

I was woken up by a panicked cry from Toph.

"Get up!" I shot upright, alarmed.

"What is it Toph?" Katara asked blearily.

"Something's coming," Toph replied, hand pressed against the ground to get a better reading on the vibrations.

"What is it?" Aang asked, noting in worry how I had packed up my sleeping bag. I noticed Katara and Sokka following my actions.

"It's like an avalanche, but not like an avalanche," Toph added, confusion filling her voice.

"Here's a hint, we need to move," I added. I tossed my sleeping bag into Appa's saddle. My friends followed suit, and within minutes we were all on Appa's back.

"What is it?" Katara asked me, turning to look at me in worry. 

"Why would she know? What? Do you need her to be your mommy?" Toph mocked. Katara spun back, anger Flaring in her eyes. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never told Toph about my situation.

"No, remember how I told you I was Aang's spirit guide? Well, that's sort of right, but I sometimes know things no one else does. I'll explain it to you in more detail later." I stated. Toph wrinkled her nose but didn't argue.

"So who is it?" Sokka interjected, "Zuko?" I shook my head.

"Zuko was lucky to get a boat. They wouldn't give him an advanced machine such as this," I pointed out.

"Who's Zuko?" Toph asked.

"Banished prince of the fire nation. He was chasing us around the world for a while." Sokka replied offhand, before focusing again on me.

"So if it isn't Zuko who is it?" To my surprise, Katara was the one who figured it out.

"It's those girls from Omashu," she said aloud. I nodded, feeling ready to go back to sleep. Remembering last second that Toph had no idea what was going on I clarified.

"Yes. Azula, Princess of the fire nation and Zuko's little sister, her playmate, Ty Lee, and Zuko's old fiancé, Mai." I explained, leaning back and closing my eyes. Appa landed a moment later. Unlike my friends, I didn't bother to get off. I had been overtired for a while now my dreams made sure I didn't get more than five hours of sleep in one go. There was the occasional time when I would be able to sleep straight through, but they were few and far between. I was also a light sleeper unless completely exhausted. I was getting close to that point, but I wasn't there yet. I was woken up by Toph and Katara halfway through an argument.

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed. The volume of my voice surprised me. Awkward silence coated the clearing like a coat of wet paint.

"You two are acting like children. Go to sleep. You can fight when the sun's out." This time neither Toph nor Katara backed down.

"Who died and made you queen?" Toph snapped, "you think you're so superior-"

"Don't bother trying to explain to her." Katara snapped at me, "she doesn't know what the word respect means." Sokka and Aang were trying to keep out of it, but I could see that the battle was wearing on their nerves as well.

"What!?! Listen here sugar queen," Toph snarled stepping forward. She froze, suddenly tensing up. I too became alert and looked up at the tree tops. Black smoke hung like a veil over the bright starry sky.

"Aww, you've got to be kidding me," Sokka muttered. Once again we climbed onto a sleeping Appa, woke the bison and headed off. Unlike me, Appa could sleep through almost anything.

We landed in a place that was significantly higher in altitude, halfway up the side of a rocky mountain.

"Finally. Don't bother setting up. Go to sleep." Sokka gasped, tossing his sleeping bag to the ground and collapsing upon it. He was asleep in an instant. Aang was right behind him followed by Appa.

"That's okay Toph wasn't going to help anyway," Katara snapped, using her bedroll as a pillow.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize baby still needed to be tucked into bed." Toph retorted. I closed my eyes and laid still in my sleeping bag. I was going to be the stronger, better person and just ignore it. The banter continued for a little while before Momo started screeching. I jerked upright. I hadn't been able to sleep at all with the talking and now once again they had found us.

"Okay, that's it, this time, we stay to fight," I didn't argue. I was ready to drop where I stood. The machine, some sort of cross between a tank and steamroller, came to a stop. A cabin opened, and Azula was revealed alongside Ty Lee and Mai. I didn't know what type of reptiles they were riding not that I cared that much.

"We can take them, three on three." Toph crowed.

"Hey!" Sokka and I cried in tandem.

"Sorry, I was only counting benders," Toph replied flippantly. I had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't really that sorry.

"Newsflash," I hissed, eyes narrowed at the blind girl, "but if you're only counting benders it's one on three."

"Fine then, three in five," Toph corrected. My lip curled into a snarl at her response. I had the distinct image of tearing her thick hair out in chunks.

Azula wasn't the type to just sit around waiting. In a moment she and her 'friends' had kicked their lizards into movement. I watched in horror as the giant lizards climbed right over Toph's rocks. My friends pulled a hasty retreat, Toph creating a giant wall to slow down those chasing us. It was too high and steep for the lizards to climb but Azula fixed that with a bolt of blue lightning. The earth exploded with a crack that seemed to shake the air around us. Appa was already in the air and out of range by the time the smoke cleared.

We sat quietly on Appa as we flew away. None of us were happy about having to leave like cowards. We were even more unhappy when a pale light peaked over the horizon.

"I still think we could have fought them," Toph stated finally, leaning away from us over Appa's saddle.

"Are you kidding?" Katara asked, "Those girls are scary. The flying daggers and the blue firebending... and I don't even know what the third can do."

"Oh no, it's morning. We've been up all night with no sleep." Sokka moaned, staring out at the rising orb. Heavy bags under his eyes. No one replied, so he continued.

"I've never gone all night without sleep before."

"Neither have of any of us." I replied sharply, "Your point's what?"

"We'll be okay," Aang muttered from where he sat on Appa's head. Sokka proceeded to freak out about 'never not sleeping before.' I bit my tongue trying not to snarl at him to shut up. I was in a bad mood, the lack of sleep still bothering me.

"Every time we land those girls are there. We'll just have to keep flying."

"We can't keep flying forever." Aang pointed out tiredly.

I must have fallen asleep after that because the next thing I knew I was falling. I woke up with a panicked scream. Reaching out, I grabbed Toph, holding on to her and the saddle. Aang was desperately trying to wake up Appa who had fallen asleep while flying. Some small corner of my mind muttered something about falling asleep while driving but I ignored it, to focused on not letting the small blind girl fly away. Toph, of course, had a strong grip on the saddle as well. All my friends were screaming, but I felt as though something had lodged in my throat constricting my ability to make a noise. Aang must have woken Appa up because our decent was suddenly corrected slightly, becoming less steep. That didn't stop us from hitting the treeline and then the ground, leaving a deep gouge in the earth.

We scrambled off the bison and hit the earth ourselves. Aang looked up at us, purple bags dark against his pale skin.

"Appa's exhausted."

"Then we should follow Appa's example and go to sleep," Sokka pointed out, "We've put enough distance between those girls and us for now." He promptly fell into his sleeping bag and did just that.

"Of course, we could have gotten some more sleep if Toph didn't have so many issues," Katara said. I could feel the earth shake as Toph practically screeched.

"What?!"

"Shut up both of you," I muttered, trying to hide my head under my pillow. Aang, ever the peacekeeper stepped forward.

"Alright, everyone's exhausted. Let's just get some rest."

"No! I want to hear what Katara has to say. You think I have issues?"

"Please shut up," I muttered again. Sokka snored beside me. Lucky guy.

"I'm just saying, if you helped out sooner we could have set up camp earlier-" I tensed. That was it.

"Leave her alone Katara."

"You're blaming ME for this?" I felt my heart sink. I sat up, nudging Sokka slightly. This was going to get ugly fast.

"No, no she's not blaming you!"

"Oh no, I'm blaming her." Katara snapped to Aang who was looking more and more desperate by the minute. Toph glowered at Katara which was unusually scary because of her blindness.

"I never asked you for diddly doo da. I carry my own weight." She snarled "Besides if there is anyone to blame it's sheddy here," Aang's reaction was immediate.

"You're blaming Appa?!" I flinched and stood. I needed to stop this before it blew out of control.

"If it's anyone's fault-"

"Stay out of this Maddi." Aang snapped, spinning to look at Toph in a fury.

"Appa has saved your life three times today! If there is anyone to blame it's you!"

"Aang-"

"You are always talking about how you carry your own weight, but you're not. He is. Appa is carrying your weight."

"Aang-"

"He never had a problem when it was just the four of us!" There was silence for a moment, and I could see Aang's realization that he had messed up bad.

"I'm outta here," Toph muttered. Sokka staggered to his feet and ran in front of Toph, his arms stretched out.

"Wait." He didn't get to say anything else as Toph earthbended him to the side and continued to tromp off.

"What did I just do?" Aang asked, sitting down, head in hands. I sighed.

"I'm going after her."

"Maddi." I turned back. Katara was looking at me worriedly, "Is everything going to be okay?"

"Yes, as long as nothing changes. Let me deal with this." I told her and headed out after Toph.

* * *

I had tracked Toph out of the forest and up to a rocky mountainside. She had to have met Iroh which meant that the two of them were having tea somewhere up above. With a sigh, I started up the slope.

I was tired, dirty and sweating by the time I heard Iroh's voice. I was well aware that I could have taken the winding path up the mountainside, but it would have taken longer.   
"So, where is your nephew?" Toph's voice echoed down for me to hear.

"I've been tracking him actually," That was Iroh. I took a second to wipe away some sweat dribbling down my forehead.

"Is he lost?"

"In a way. His life has changed, and he is going through very difficult times. He is trying to figure out who he is," I noticed Iroh didn't sound sad so much as worried.

"So... now you're following him?" The conversation continued, but I couldn't quite pay attention. I was tired and worn out. Inside I was calling myself various nasty names for taking the most challenging route.

"Hello, Maddi." I looked up. I was nearly at the top, and Toph was looking down at me over the edge. I grinned guiltily as a pillar of rock shot me up onto the path Toph and Iroh were sitting on.

"Ow." I muttered, sitting up from where I had fallen, "Was that necessary?"

"You were following me," Toph replied, sounding frustrated.

"Of course I did. I wanted to apologize," I explained. Toph opened her mouth only to close it abruptly. Apparently, she hadn't expected me to say that. I smiled at Iroh's surprised face.

"Hello General Iroh, it is nice to see you again." Toph now looked completely lost.

"You know him?" I chuckled.

"Toph, meet General Iroh of the Fire Nation. His nephew is Prince Zuko. The guy who chased us across the world? General Iroh meet Toph, Aang's earthbending teacher." Iroh shook his head, a wane smile on his face.

"I should have realized that you and your companions were part of it." He shook his head. I sighed. We needed to get going.

"Well, I think that the three of us are headed in the same direction. Considering Aang and Zuko both have a knack to get into trouble we need to head down. Azula was chasing us Iroh. If Zuko is around, it's going to be a three-way fight that we do not want to see come to a conclusion."

The change in Iroh's face was so severe it scared me a little. Iroh nodded firmly and made a clucking sound. To my surprise, an ostrich-horse came at the command. Climbing on Iroh offered his hand to me. I took it and found myself seated behind the old man.

"Yah!" I turned to make sure Toph was following only to find that the young earthbender was keeping up with us, using earthbending to keep up. Biting my lip I held onto Iroh. Praying that nothing had changed this once and we would make it to them in time.

* * *

We all arrived in the town around the same time Katara and Sokka had. Zuko was unconscious in the middle of the road. While Toph, Katara, and Sokka helped Aang fight Azula I ran over to Zuko along with Iroh.

"Zuko," Iroh called, shaking Zuko's shoulders. The worry on his face was clear as day. Slowly the Fire Prince came to. Blinking he sat up, holding his head. I felt a jolt when I saw the bloody gash under his hand.

The three of us then quickly joined the chase. Azula was exchanging fire and lighting bursts with my friends. However, she was getting her butt kicked soundly. Katara and Sokka sent water blasts and weapons shooting at her while Aang and Toph both attacked and protected the other two from Azula's attacks. I was shocked at how well the four of them were working together. It was like a well-oiled machine. I reached for my arrows and then realized in shock I had forgotten them on Appa. My disgust for myself grew. Luckily, I always kept my fans on me. But they were little use against Azula at this point. So instead I watched as Zuko and Iroh joined my friends in fighting off the Fire Princess. They chased her into a corner with no escape. Azula looked at each one. A sly grin crossed her face. I felt my heart sink.

"Iroh! DUCK!" I howled. Iroh dropped to the ground like a stone, avoiding a shot of blue electricity by mere inches. Azula's face showed complete shock. I had warned Iroh before she had taken aim. I was lucky by the time she clued in it was too late to change her direction. Unluckily for me, the bolt of lightening didn't fizzle out of existence. I felt the electricity pass by me, raising all my hair up on end. It had been a good foot away from me. I couldn't imagine how powerful it would have been if it had hit me. The only thing that saved Iroh was the fact that he could deflect electricity. There were several shouts as everyone attacked Azula at once, even Iroh sprung up, shooting a bolt of fire at his niece. Azula blocked with a swirl of blue fire. By the time it had cleared she had vanished.

Then everyone turned to me.

"How did you know that she was going to attack me?" Iroh asked softly. His eyes weren't suspicious, just curious. I shrugged, carefully avoiding the elderly man's eyes. Zuko looked gobsmacked as he looked between his uncle and I. I gave an innocent smile, trying to look like it had been an accident. Instead, I probably looked more guilty from the looks I was getting. I sighed.

"I have my secrets," I told Iroh and Zuko firmly. I would fill in Toph later. Iroh nodded, but Zuko looked frustrated at my unwillingness to divulge my secrets.

"Well, I'm glad that you weren't hurt," I told Iroh before turning to my friends.

"Come on we need to get going," Aang nodded and blew into his bison whistle. While we waited, he turned back to Zuko.

"You know I do need a firebending master. If you'd like, you can join us," I gaped at Aang in shock. What on earth was going on? Zuko frowned, looking at the avatar in confusion. He looked at us all and then turned back to Aang, lowering his voice. I frowned. I couldn't hear what the two were talking about, but whatever it was Aang didn't seem upset. Not that he was happy either. He just seemed to accept whatever Zuko was saying.

Appa landed not far away from us. Lowing softly to Aang. My companions clambered onto the bison. I paused as I was about to climb on. After a moment I dug into my pack. Finding what I was looking for, I slid back down and walked over to Zuko.

"Take this. You need it more than I do." I told him softly. I handed the object to him, pressing it into the firebenders hands. Turning I climbed back onto Appa. I grinned as I looked down, noticing Zuko's confusion as he stared at the scroll in his hands, the red ends marking it as fire nation in origin. 


	32. Sandbenders

Toph's reaction to my full story was disbelief. After we had filled her in on the entire journey, the disbelief lessened.

"Wow, I can't imagine twinkletoes stuck in an iceberg." She sniggered. Aang had looked thoroughly put out by the comment but eventually laughed it off.

"Yeah it was a shock for Katara and Sokka... mostly Sokka," I replied with a cheeky grin. Sokka turned and looked at me with an indignant 'hey!' I sniggered slightly.

"Well, it wasn't a cakewalk." Katara pointed out, "Things got pretty hard at times."

"I kinda got that feeling," Toph replied, leaning back and sticking one foot into the air.

"You don't know the half of it. You try dealing with frustrating spirits all the time and not go insane," I mumbled. Katara did a double take and turned back to me.

"Okay, so I know about Hei Bei and La taking over your body... that's not all the time. Who else?" I blushed, suddenly realizing that I hadn't talked to my friends about all the spirits I had come into contact with. Taking a deep breath, I started the tally.

"In order of when I met them it was Kyoshi, I think it was Hei Bei then, after that I met La for the first time along with the other four elemental spirits-"

"You met Tui and La?" Katara asked in shock. I nodded.

"Yeah, and Agni, Prithvi, and Lung."

"Who?" Sokka asked, furrowing his brow. Aang grinned and explained.

"Agni is the spirit of fire and Prithvi is the spirit of earth." He paused and then looked at me in confusion, "Who's the last spirit?" I stared at Aang incredulously.

"Lung? Aang? Lung is the main spirit of air. How do you know everyone else's spirits but not your own?" Aang looked at me totally confused.

"You must be mistaken. There isn't one dominant spirit of air. We have four, North, South, East, and West. One for each temple. They represent the equality that airbenders believe in," I felt my heart sink as I remembered a conversation between Lung and I so long ago.

"Yes, well, the truth is that my people are a minority, how am I supposed to repopulate an entire nation with one child? One who is destined to marry a waterbender? I need more than one person," I frowned. I may not have known a lot about Legend of Korra but hadn't there been two airbenders born from Aang? Besides wasn't there a lot of airbenders later in the series? I couldn't remember.

"Give yourself a generation or two, and you'll have a lot more." I stated as I turned away, "You don't need me to be an airbender, it's more trouble than you want." In a rush of air, Lung stood in front of me again.

"I need an Airbender who knows of my existence."

Lung had disobeyed the rules of the spirits, and because of that he had lost his solid form and been banished from interacting with people from the world or interfering with their lives. I hadn't realized that his punishment included his memory erased from the minds of the very people who represented him. His desperation to make me an airbender suddenly made a lot more sense. For the first time since I had met him, I felt sadness for Lung's state. His people almost entirely wiped out, and the one who remained would never know that he had a powerful spirit rooting for him. Sure Lung was selfish, manipulative and a class-A jerk but he didn't deserve to be forgotten.

"I'm not mistaken," I insisted softly before continuing. I would let Aang come to me. I had wet his curiosity, and it would only be a matter of time.

"So anyway, after that, I met Lung again on his own and then I met Nut, umm, her entire name is ridiculously long, but she's the spirit of the North Star. After her, I came across La again which you all know, and then in the Swamp, Nut introduced me to Ashvattha, the spirit of the tree that made up the swamp." I paused, "I that's it so far I guess." All my friends were gawking at me, causing my face to turn a brilliant crimson. Sokka finally threw up his hands.

"Do you have any more secrets you want to tell us? What have you been a bender all along or something?"

"No." I replied deadpan, "I think I've told you pretty much everything now. Except for parts of the future and we all agreed on me keeping that a secret unless I expected otherwise," There was silence for a moment before Toph asked.

"So... what were we talking about before the whole crazy spirit thing?"

* * *

Toph teaching Aang how to earthbend followed the similar routine it had in the series, the main change being I went with Sokka, so he wasn't alone. Despite my attempts, he still managed to get stuck in the fissure in the earth. Sometimes I wondered why I bothered.

The day after Aang suggested that we take short, day-long vacations to relax for a while. Of course, he was still expected to work on his bending, but all of us were excited about it. Even I was, although trepidation followed as well. I was going to do everything in my power to stop the bison nabbing. This meant that I wouldn't be able to go to the library which was disappointing. I had been hoping for some new reading material as my scroll was now in the hands of Zuko. Not that I regretted my choice. I was just going to end up bored if I didn't have something else to do. True, the tradition of stories (and games) had continued, but there were only so many things we could do. However, with Toph joining us some old stories might reappear, after all, the best part about a story was telling it to someone new.

Aang got the first vacation choice which led us to a prairie. I couldn't help but laugh at the cute little singing prairie dogs. They were adorable. Also, seeing Momo with his head stuck down a prairie-dog hole was hilarious.

Then it was Katara's turn. She chose Misty Springs Oasis. A natural ice spring in the middle of a desert. It wasn't quite as beautiful as Aang remembered. The ice was almost nothing and the town built around it was clearly within a year of becoming a ghost town. Aang looked quite uncomfortable with the praise he had given the town yesterday and chuckled nervously.

"I guess it changed ownership since I was here last,"  I didn't reply. I noticed a Sandbender eyeing us suspiciously. I felt a sting of anger. Had they been planning to steal Appa from this point? Or was he just honestly suspicious?

We headed into a restaurant and watched in interest as the bartender created drinks for customers. He would take the fruit that the customer suggested, dice them up with swords then deposit them into plain water that had been boiled to purify. I could tell because I could see a pot of boiling water going in the back. Sokka looked like he had hit the jackpot.

"I don't see a reason we can't have some fruity beverages while we plan." Sokka salivated. I smiled. One of those drinks did look good.  As we walked up to the bar the guy who had previously ordered stood up, slamming into Aang and covering the young Airbender in punch and fruit chunks.

"Oh me I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed grabbing a napkin to star dabbing at Aang's shirt. Aang just laughed.

"Don't worry. I clean up easy." He explained and bent himself dry. I ducked as a piece of mango shot over my head and sent him a teasing glare. Aang laughed guiltily then realized I was teasing and shook his head with a smile.

"You're a living relic!" The man cried in excitement. Aang looked completely befuddled.

"I'm a what?"

"A relic-"

"I know what it means." Aang quickly interjected. I gave a small smile. It was probably painful to remember that all that belonged to of his people at this time was relics. The man didn't seem to care. I looked at him, trying to remember his face.

"An airnomad, right in front of me! Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University." He reached forward and grabbed both of Aang's hands like he was someone famous. Then again, Aang was the Avatar and the last Airbender, in a way he was. I remembered this guy now. He was the over-exuberant professor who died... my thoughts trailed off as I realized that this man was going to die in a few hours. At the same time, Appa was going to be kidnapped. My heart faltered. I wouldn't be able to save both of them without help, but I had completely forgotten about Zei. It had been so long since I had watched the TV series connected to this world. I looked at my friends who were watching as Aang was mauled by the over excitable man. I moved forward slightly and caught Katara's arm.

"Can I talk to you for a moment."

"Sure," Katara replied looking at me in confusion. I took a deep breath and pulled her to a quiet part of the bar with no one within listening distance.

"There is something going to happen in a few hours. I won't be able to be there because I'm going to try to change something else... anyway this guy is going to tell Sokka about a library owned by a Spirit, and he's going to choose it as his vacation. When you guys go inside, you need to be super careful. This spirit doesn't trust humans he thinks we will always use knowledge to try to kill each other. He's right in part..." I trailed off noticing Katara's look. Blushing, I continued.

"Sorry, went off topic there. Anyway, the point is you can't let Sokka say anything about using the information he found against the fire nation or the spirit will sink the library. Toph will slow the sinking with her bending from inside.... but Professor Zei decides that he wants to stay behind, well, actually he's so absorbed in his reading he doesn't even notice." I took a deep breath. And looked at Katara pleadingly.

"I'll try to save him." She agreed. I smiled and nodded.

"Thanks. That's all I can ask."

"We're going to The Library!" Sokka exclaimed from beside the bar.

"And so it begins," I muttered to myself.

* * *

The entire ride on Appa professor Zei talked about the library. Constantly. When he wasn't talking about the library, he was desperately looking at the large expanse of dunes that seemed to go on forever. While he was definitely annoying, I couldn't bring myself to hold a grudge. I didn't want him to die. No one deserved to die. An image of a fire nation soldier with an arrow in his neck flashed before my eyes causing me to wince. Would I ever forget that man?

"There it is!" Toph cried, pointing. I choked back a laugh as all my companions lurched to the side to see what she was pointing at.

"That's what it will sound like when one of you see it." I couldn't help it. I collapsed into giggles which Toph quickly joined. The dirty looks I was getting from my friends didn't effect either of us.

After I calmed down. Professor Zei showed us an image of the library.

"How can a giant ornate building be so hard to spot?" Katara asked, looking around. I could almost see a light bulb go off as she turned to look at me with wide eyes.

"Unless... its buried underground." I smiled.

"Partially." I replied softly. Sokka sent the two of us a strange look and then raised an eyebrow at me.

"Do you want to fill him in?" I asked Katara, turning back to the young waterbender. She looked surprised but nodded and walked over to her brother, lowering her voice and whispering in his ear. She didn't get very far because even as she was talking to him, Sokka's eyes were scanning the desert. I could see the change in what he was looking for as Katara whispered into his ear. She just finished when Sokka called out.

"There it is!"

"Where?" Aang shouted, shooting up from where he had been steering Appa. He looked over the sand dunes and frowned. I grinned and looked at the twenty-some foot spire sticking out of the sand. The spire was a simple tower the same colour as the sand around it. It had no entrances or exits other than a window right below the stylized roof. Despite the amount of effort it probably took to carve it like that all I could think about was that it looked like soft-serve ice cream. Although the heat of the desert could be the cause of those thoughts.

"That can't be it, it's too small," Aang told us, looking completely confused.

"No, it's not." Sokka corrected and placed his hand over a good portion of the map, showing the similarity between the tower and the spire in the picture. "The rest of the building is underground."

"WHAT!" Professor Zei cried causing us all to jump from the sheer volume. We were so shocked that Aang almost missed the fox running across the sand with a scroll in its mouth.

"What's that?" He pointed at the red streak crossing the desert. I blinked in surprise. The Fox was moving at speeds that only cars could travel at. Then again, so could Appa, besides, the Fox belonged to a spirit, all rules stopped applying in that case.

"That's one of Wan Shi Tong's knowledge seekers."

"Wait I thought you said he had pretty assistants," Sokka pouted. Professor Zei looked at him in confusion while Katara, making the connection snorted, gently slapped her brother upside the head.

"You're such a pig," She stated and then turned away. Aang took Appa down, and we landed in the sand nearby the tower. Only then did Professor Zei seem to snap out of his shock and declare that he was going to excavate. Toph tilted her head toward him, then shook her head and walked over to the tower.

"You don't have to. The entire building is still intact inside. You just need to find a way in that's all," Sokka paused, thinking. He looked at the distance between the window and where we stood. I brushed some sweat from my brow. It was ridiculously hot here. I appreciated the looseness of my earth kingdom dress it allowed for a lot of air flow which helped keep me cool.

"Well climb in through the window and give it a look," He finally decided. Clambering back onto Appa he pulled out a thick coil of rope that we used as a clothesline and tied it into one of the holes in his boomerang.

"Come on Boomerang you haven't failed me yet." He muttered, tossing it up into the air. Toph stepped back.

"I say you guys go on without me." She stated. Katara looked confused for a second before nodding.

"I'll stay behind too," Katara wasn't surprised, but Aang and Sokka were.

"Okay I understand Toph but why are you staying behind? You love reading." Aang pointed out in confusion.

"I do." I agreed, "And if you can borrow a book or two, I will be eternally grateful." I paused.

"Listen, I need to be here in case the worst happens. As amazing as Toph is, even she could use some backup. We never know what might happen." My friends picked up on my meaning while at the same time I kept Professor Zei out of the loop. I would have to remember what I had just said and use it as code for 'something bad is going to happen, I'm going to change it.'

I watched as Aang, Katara, Sokka and professor Zei clambered up the rope and into Wan Shi Tong's library.   
"Do I want to know?" Toph asked, walking up beside me. I sighed and looked at the petite earthbender.

"Just if I need you I'd like it if you don't let me down."

* * *

Hours later and Toph and I were hiding in Appa's shade. I honestly didn't know how the bison could stand such temperatures with his thick fur coat, even if it were the summer coat. Appa didn't seem to mind the heat too much, so we hid in his shadow and praised him. Well, I praised him, Toph made small talk between myself and the bison.

A loud rumble alerted me to what was happening. My heart jumped to my throat. Someone must have slipped up. I had hoped to avoid the library sinking, but sometimes there was nothing I could do. Toph sprang up with a shout and tore across the short expanse of desert to stick her hands right into the tower wall.

"Hold on Toph, don't let go," I shouted, tearing up Appa to grab my bow.

"Right because I'm just going to let go," Toph shouted back, sarcasm dripping from her tone. I knocked an arrow and waited. I could hear Toph grunting in exertion. I peered out over the dunes, looking for any sign of movement. It was only a moment later that I saw the signs. My heart was racing a thousand miles a minute as I stood on Appa's back. The sand-gliders flew across the desert so quickly that in less than a minute they were close enough I could count the number of men on them.

"Toph, no matter what you hear, do not let go of that tower."

"What are you-"

"Do you understand or not Toph!" I barked. I could feel my stress level rising. My mind wandered to professor Zei. For a moment I felt worried build inside of me, but I shoved it aside. I needed to focus on what was happening here. I had trusted Katara with the knowledge she would do everything she could. I knew she would. The sand-gliders stopped, and the men jumped out. I counted ten in all. Carefully I took aim and let my arrow go. The arrow landed quivering between one man's feet.

"Identify yourselves." I barked. I wondered if everyone could hear my heartbeat from where I was standing. A few nervous looks quickly identified the leader. He was the man the others all turned to look at. There was no verbal response.

"I know that you can speak En- The Common Tongue. Tell me your name and your purpose here." I snarled at the leader. I had to watch my words I almost called the language English. Considering I wasn't speaking English, that would have just lead to confusion. Still silence. Only the sound of wind and Toph's struggles could be heard.

"Fine. Let me tell you what you're going to do. You saw this animal back at the town and realized that it was valuable. So you decided to steal him. After all, it was only a bunch of kids who owned it right?" I could see a little surprise, but I wasn't done yet.

"So you followed us and tried to discover when the bison would be the least protected. After you obtained the animal you were going to sell it to some traders heading to Ba Sing Se for a good price," There was shock in their eyes now.

"What you don't know is that while we are young, we are warriors. The currently occupied girl is the greatest earthbender in this generation. The boy and girl in blue who are not here are the prince and princess of the southern water tribe. The boy in yellow is the Avatar and if that is not enough to discourage you from leaving, than know this." I stepped forward, bringing myself into full view.

"I am Maddison. Girl of all four nations. I have been blessed by the spirits and have walked among them for a long time. I am the avatar's spirit guide and if you cross us and try to steal our bison know that you will never rest again. The very spirits will attack you and misfortune will fall upon you like a plague. Not even the innocents will survive," I was totally bluffing, but they didn't need to know that. What mattered was what I said was impressive and I had already alarmed them. Slowly I knocked another arrow.

"So what do you think?" I called down, eyes steel cold, "Will you risk your lives and the lives of your families for a few measly gold coins?" We were silent in a stare down. It felt like an eternity. Slowly the lead man made a gesture with his hand. My arms were screaming in pain, but I couldn't release or relax, if I did it would be a sign of weakness. I would wait for him to make the first move.

The sandbenders slowly retreated, eyes riveted on me until they climbed on their sand-gliders and took off. As soon as they were far enough away, I unhooked the arrow and allowed the bow to twang back into its usual position then I collapsed onto Appa's saddle, breathing hard. I hadn't realized that I had been holding my breath as they had left.

Fifteen minutes later there was an ugly sucking noise. I jolted upright. My friends were standing in the sand beside Toph. Katara, Sokka, and Aang were all fine. Professor Zei wasn't there. I slid down Appa's tail.

"Everyone okay?" I asked. Toph was panting on the ground, and Sokka was bent over, hands on his knees. Aang was looking hot and flustered. Katara looked devastated.

"Pala, I'm sorry I couldn't-" I raised my palm, cutting her off.

"You did your best. The rest was up to him." Katara nodded, but she didn't look completely convinced.

"Come on. I don't want to sleep here." Sokka stated, clambering onto Appa's back. We followed right behind him. I smiled warmly as Aang petted Appa's head. Some things were worth taking stakes on.

"Alright buddy, let's get out of here. Yip yip!"


	33. Relaxation

Maddi

The water was cold but relaxing. A pleasant contrast to the heat of the desert. All of us had stripped to our underwear and were enjoying the cool water.

"Waterbending ball!" Katara screamed, launching herself over the edge of the waterfall above us. The ensuing total wave soaked not only is but the ground around us. I had a sneaking suspicion that the ground had been watered in a twenty-mile radius. Sokka shrieked, shooting upright and lurching out of the water.

"Gee Katara, 500-year-old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on them."

"Sorry." Katara apologized, reaching out and slowly pried the water from the old parchment. Sokka grunted.

"We need to figure out what our next step is." He stated gesturing to Aang to join us from where he was soaking Appa. Aang walked over, bending the moisture from his clothes. Toph, noticing that we were gathering joined us and plopped onto the ground beside Sokka.

"First matter of business." Sokka stated, looking immensely proud of his words, "we know when the fire nation is weak, now we just need to use it to our advantage." Katara frowned thoughtfully.

"How will that help, though? An eclipse doesn’t last very long, its not like we can attack the fire nation on our own..." She trailed off, eyes going wide as she looked at Sokka, "You can't be serious." Sokka nodded with a goofy grin.

"We'll need to time it so that Aang is facing the Fire Lord just as the eclipse begins."

"Um, no offense Sokka but what are you talking about?" I interjected in confusion. I was completely lost.

"We're going to build an army and attack the fire nation on the day of black sun. Aang will defeat the Fire Lord on that day," The reaction was immediate.

"There's no way I can do that! Day of the Black Sun is a little more than three months away! I can't master all four bending styles by then! I don't even have my firebending teacher!" Aang cried, shooting upright in a panic.

"Aang, calm down, you don't have to master firebending, remember that won't be working when you're fighting the Fire Lord anyway." Sokka comforted, the excitement bleeding into his voice lessening the comforting tone significantly.

"Does anyone see that there is just one other tiny problem with this plan?" Toph asked, spitting something into the grass to her left. I grimaced but then turned to ask,

"What is that?"  
"That Sokka somehow thinks we're going to get a big enough army to take down the fire nation in three months."

"She has a point," Katara agreed, turning to her brother with serious eyes, "How are we going to get an army that big?"

"I was thinking," Sokka explained, leaning over the map

"Uh oh," Toph interjected, grinning. I sniggered at Sokka's annoyed expression.

"As I was saying. I thought that we could go to Ba Sing Se and talk to the earth king, get him to back us and provide us with an army. Then if we could, we could..." Sokka trailed off before adding in a quieter tone, "try to contact dad, get him to help too." It was quiet for a moment, all of us picking up on the insecurity in Sokka's words, the insecurity that affected each of us.

"What do you think Pala?" Katara finally asked, easing her voice into the silence like a foot into a hot bath.

"Are you asking for what I think or what the future holds?" I asked, trying to sound jovial but failing.

"Both would be nice," Toph replied, even she was affected by the dark mood that had fallen upon us. I shot a glare at her only to remember that she not only didn't care she wasn't even aware that I was glaring. No matter how funny it was to see, my companions forget that Toph was blind it wasn't so funny when you were the one forgetting.

"Fine, in all honesty, you guys are following the future as I know it, of course, things have changed, my rescuing Appa probably-"

"What do you mean rescuing Appa?" I froze at the sound of Aang's sharp voice. He was staring at me, so was everyone else for that matter. I grinned nervously.

"In the traditional story those sandbenders were supposed to steal Appa and sell him to traders going to Ba Sing Se, that was a heavy influence on you heading to Ba Sing Se in the first place. Although the Earth King bit was important as well," My mind wandered to what would happen in Ba Sing Se. Was there any way I could help Aang? Stop him from getting hurt by Azula? And if I did what would change? The effects were not something I could control and nothing I could predict, but I had also promised that I would protect my friends. I would think about it later.

"WHAT!" Aang shouted, dragging my thoughts back to the real world.

"Aang, it's okay, Appa's fine, we're fine, there was no cactus juice or friendly mushroom clouds." I quickly interjected as Katara tried to sooth the young Airbender.

"I have a feeling that that is a really, really funny story," Toph smirked. I ignored the comment and coughed to catch the attention of Aang and Katara.

"My point is, so far we're on the right track. Is there anything else we need to talk about?" I added, turning to Sokka. He shook his head.

"Good, then maybe we should find some other stuff to do." With that I stood and walked away, effectively ending the awkward meeting.

While my friends dispersed, I walked over to Appa's saddle and retrieved a scroll. Aang had managed to nab one from Wa Shi Tong's library while it was sinking for me and now my curiosity was getting the better of me. Unlike my old scroll which was red, this one was had no fancy decoration. It was a dull, unimpressive scroll. That didn't mean the contents matched the outside. Excited I rolled it open and read the first few words in excitement. I frowned in confusion and turned the scrolls all the way to the beginning to read the title. I took one look at it and laughed. It read 'Legends and Fairytales around the world' Aang had found me a children's book. I didn't mind, though, learning about fairytales in this world would be interesting. Sitting down I began to read the first story, only to be interrupted.

“Hey Pala, I need a sparring partner,” Sokka called while he carefully checked for nicks in his boomerang. I sighed but smiled and tucked the scroll away, picking up my fans and walking over to practice.

Half an hour later we were sweating and out of breath. Sokka had pushed both of us to our limits, using every trick he knew. I had returned in kind.

“Call it a tie?” I asked, straightening with a grimace, wiping the sweat from my brow. Sokka nodded in agreement and hurried down to the water to cool off. I was about to follow him when Katara walked up to me. She looked upset which confused me. Had something happened that I wasn't aware of?

“Pala? Can I talk to you.”

“Sure,” I responded, walking over to the blue eyed girl.

“Privately.” Katara insisted when I got close enough, taking me by the elbow and dragging me away. Once we were out of earshot, she rounded on me.

“Don't think I'm jealous but I... I think it is unfair to show that you have a favorite among your friends.” She sent me a look like she expected me to begin asking for forgiveness. As it was, I had no idea what she was talking about.

“What?” I frowned, “You're going to have to be a little clearer.” My befuddlement was twisting my nose into a wrinkle.

“What I mean is that you are constantly complimenting Toph. I don't know if it's on purpose or not but... I'm uncomfortable with the favoritism.” I blinked at Katara in shock. She was partially right I had been complimenting Toph quite a bit.

“Katara, I don't care for Toph more than any of you.” Katara's doubt was clear, so I explained.   
“Yes Toph is cool, and yes she is a great earthbender, but the truth is, you are just as good in waterbending, and you have plenty of merits. So do Sokka and Aang. The reason I compliment Toph is partial, so she feels a part of this team. She came in so late that we already have tight bonds and she needs to know that we have space for her to become one of us as well. Also remember what she lived with? She needs to know that someone believes her to be incredible. The teasing way I complement her is meant to be just that, teasing. But it still helps her self-esteem. Each of you has something that makes you unique and incredible Katara, Toph just needs to be reminded.” I smiled. Katara still looked bothered, but there was a furrow in her brow suggesting that she was thinking hard.

“Don't compare yourself to Toph because you're not Toph. And just to let you know,” I grinned, “you are one of the best waterbenders I have met, you have natural skill Katara. You probably would have been a prodigy if you had a master in the south,” Katara's eyes had become watery in the last part, and she smiled, wiping a damp eye.

“Thanks,” She stated softly.

"No problem amazing, incredible, waterbending friend of mine." I teased, causing her to laugh. Shaking her head Katara walked away. I chuckled and went back to Appa's saddle and my scroll, internally berating myself. I had once again forgotten that Katara was only fourteen. She wouldn't understand everything I do and would need my support. It was hard being the oldest on the team, although mentally Sokka wasn't that far away from me.

I pulled out the scroll and contentedly began reading. The current story reminded me of Cinderella, except it was quite a bit different. The story was earth kingdom in origin and it revolved around a girl freeing a magical fish from her father's net. In return the fish promised her whenever she was in trouble, it would grant her a wish but to use the wishes sparingly for he could only help her three times. Of course, there was a party, the girl wanted to go but couldn't so she asked for beautiful dancing slippers and a dress. The fish provided both as the first wish which was what confused me. As I read on I was fascinated to find that the second wish was for a second outfit but the third was for help. The king had sent the guards after the girl, believing that she was trying to seduce the prince. In reality, she had just wanted to go to a party and be the most beautiful. She begged the fish to save her. He did, turning into a human man. I was shocked to read that it was the fish and the girl who lived happily ever after and not the prince. It was an intriguing story. Excited, I found myself reading further, excitement flowing through my veins.

* * *

 

Zuko

I stared off into the distance, my mind far away. All the way in the fire nation, my homeland my father sat as Fire Lord. A man who had hated his brother taught his daughter how to lie, and disfigured the face of his son. I reached up and gently touched the scar. I barely felt anything. It was a sign of dishonor and shame yet when I touched it I no longer felt the familiar drive to hunt down the Avatar and show my father that he had made a mistake in banishing me. Instead, I felt cold run through my body like it had in the North Pole. I was once again underwater, about to drown.

“What are you thinking about?” Uncle asked, taking a seat beside me.   
“Everything.” Nothing more had to be said.

  
“I see.” We sat together in quiet contemplation before Uncle Iroh broke the silence.

  
“Perhaps I have been too much of an idealist or perhaps I have just refused to see what was in front of my eyes the entire time.” I turned to my uncle in confusion.What was he talking about? From the look in his eyes, it almost seemed as though he was talking to himself, unaware that I was here beside him.

  
“My father disapproved of my wife, did you know that Zuko?”

  
“No,” I replied. It felt necessary somehow, and at the same time, I felt he hadn't heard me.

  
“He did. He thought that the daughter of such a minor noble was not appropriate for the future Fire Lady. I married her anyway and then we had Lu-Ten. When she passed away, Lu-Ten was only a few years old. I continued to raise my son, giving everything I had to him. He reminded me of her.” The grief in my uncle's voice was evident, and I felt uncomfortable just sitting here, listening to him. 

“Then Lu-Ten died, and the world went mad. I didn't care anymore. I thought I had nothing to live for.” He paused, “I thought Ozai would make a good Fire Lord and you would one day make an even better one. So I vanished, disappeared in search for the Spirit World so I could be reunited with my son.” I felt a shiver run through me. There had been rumors that my uncle had gone to the spirit world, rumors that he had never confirmed or denied, at least in my presence. Despite the rumors, no one knew what had happened.

My uncle's voice was cracked with guilt and pain as he talked and I wanted nothing but to either run away or tell him that it was okay and that he didn't need to tell me this. But my curiosity was winning. I wanted to know what happened to my uncle in the spirit world. I wanted to know if he had found Lu-Ten.

“I found the natural portal almost a month later and entered...” my uncle trailed off before continuing in a softer voice. His voice sounded like stones rubbing together it was so rough, I could tell he wasn't far off from crying.

  
“I found many wonderful things and people. I even got to meet some major spirits, but I never found Lu-Ten.” He cleared his thought then continued.   
“I can see now that I was blind to my brother's hate and cruelty. He only cared for power. He saw the power in Azula and therefore he took her under his wing. He taught her how to hate.” There was silence for a long time. I looked at my uncle.

  
“You couldn't have known.” I finally admitted. Uncle Iroh just sighed and turned to look at me, eye to eye.

  
“I don't know if there is a way to save your father or sister Zuko. At one time I would have told you that everyone could be saved, but I don't know anymore.” He rubbed his hand over his face and for a moment I could see just how old my uncle was. I frowned then stood up and touched his shoulder.

“It's not all your fault. You can't blame yourself for my father's choices.” I insisted. Uncle Iroh didn't deserve the lot he had drawn in life. He should have had a wife and son who lived. He should have been the next Fire Lord. He should have never had to deal with an ungrateful nephew who didn't realize how much his uncle had given up for him. One day my father would pay for what he had done to his family and the world.

* * *

 

Azula

I stared at my long fingernails in mild disinterest. The ends had been filed into sharp points, and I was pondering painting them red. Legs tossed over one side of my chair I found my thoughts wandering to that girl. The strange earth kingdom girl who had gotten in my way twice. The first was in New Ozai as it was now called. Omashu no longer. The second was in that rundown town on the edge of the desert. She had cried out, warning uncle... before I had even pointed at him. True if she had warned my fuddy-duddy uncle as my finger pointed at him there wouldn't have been enough time to escape, and that was the crux of the matter. She had known my target just after I had chosen it. There was no way she could have known. I leaned backward to glance at the girl in pink.

  
“What do you think Ty Lee?”

  
“What do I think about what Azula?” Ty Lee asked as she fixed a tear in her painfully pink outfit.   
“The girl... what was her name again?”

  
“Wasn't it Pala or something water tribe?” Ty Lee giggled, “Pala, Pal-a, Paalllaaa” I twitched.

  
“She's earthkingdom.” I responded, “She wouldn't have a watertribe name.”

  
“Do I get a say?” Mai asked, her voice as flat as Ty Lee's was perky.

  
“Go ahead.”

“I don't think she's earthkingdom. She looked like a colonial to me.”

  
“Oh, and what makes you say that?”

  
“Her skin tone is a burn, remember the news from the North Pole that you told us about? I think she was burned and a waterbender healed her. Maybe even the waterbender that she travels with.” I paused and thought about it for a moment. What Mai had said made sense. If she was a colonial or a low-class citizen, she might be aware of me as I did have quite a reputation. My lips twisted at that thought, mentally painting her skin tone lighter did give her a right look for a low-class citizen or a colonial. Mai actually might be right.

  
“Well done Mai.” I praised. Another thought occurred to me.

  
“I bet that's why she's using a watertribe name. She doesn't want to give away her origins.” I would have snorted, but that was unladylike. I knew it was expected of me to be a lady. A ridiculous notion but one I would have to put up with until I was Fire Lord.

  
“Umm, excuse me, Princess? A man has arrived with some.... news for you.” I looked up to see one of the servants I had decided to bring along from the royal procession. He was shaking so much I could see it. My mouth quirked down. Usually, that meant bad news. I wasn't in the mood to hear bad news.

  
“Bring him in,” I replied briskly. Another man walked in. He too was shaking so much it was visible, and there was a notable stutter in his voice.

  
“M-M- My P-p-p-princess.”

  
“Yes?” I snapped, watching him intently. The man twitched.

  
“my- my name is-”

  
“I don't particularly care what your name is. What news do you bring? I suggest you spit it out quickly or I will become cross,” I glanced at my nails then back at the man. I could see the lump in his throat bob up and down before he continued with less of a stutter this time.

  
“The girl... the non-bending one who follows the avatar? There's a rumor going about that she's the avatar's- the avatar's.” My patience was waning thin. I wanted that message now!

  
“She's what? The avatar's what?”

  
“The avatar's spirit guide.”


	34. Sea Serpent (Or lack of one thereof)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The girl... the non-bending one who follows the avatar? There's a rumor going about that she's the avatar's- the avatar's.” My patience was waning thin. I wanted that message now!  
> “She's what? The avatar's what?”  
> “The avatar's spirit guide.”

Azula

I stared at the man in shock. I quickly wiped the expression away. Showing emotions was a weakness, and I was anything but weak.

“Sprit guide? And can you tell me what a spirit guide is?” My voice was soft, deadly so. I sat coiled on my chair like an adder.

“I-i-i-it'sss.”

“Quickly!” I barked. I had no patience for this man's incompetence.

“If I may Azula?” Ty Lee asked, turning to look at me. I gazed back then waved my hand to let her know she could continue.

“A spirit guide is someone who is knowledgeable about spirits. They often help others reach enlightenment or contact the spirits of those who have passed on. They are rumored to have walked among the spirits or even have been in the spirit world itself. We had one in the circus who was so sweet-”

“Ty Lee, the point.”

“Right, sorry Azula. My point is that since the Avatar is the bridge between the spirit world and our own she must be teaching him about spirits,” She waved her arms back and forth as if touching two sides of a scale.

“What else is there?”

“A-a-a-apparently she's a girl of all nations and a fierce warrior as well.” My lip curled. I was well aware of the girl's capacity for fighting she had sliced off one of Mai's nails. I had heard about it for days after.

“I am aware of her fighting abilities, but I am curious Mai, can someone be of all four nations?” Mai shook her head, a small smirk crossing her face.

“I don't think it is possible Azula, most people don't marry out of their nations and if they do the child would have two nations, not four. Besides, the airnomads are extinct, well except the avatar.”

“That's what I thought.” I looked down at the man who stared up at me with wide brown eyes. I frowned, my eyes narrowing.

“I don't like being told false information. It only wastes my time. And you know I don't like my time being wasted,”

After the messenger had scurried out in a panic, clutching a particularly bad burn on one arm, I turned to Mai and Ty Lee.

"So what do you really think?" I asked once I was sure we were alone.

"It sounds to me like this girl is trying to attract people to her cause. By being a spirit guide, she has the reverence of the people since spirit guides will often send off the dead for those who are of a low status and cannot have Sages or priests do it for them. By claiming to be of all four nations, she can claim that she is not biased,"

"It's almost like she's trying to be another Avatar," Ty Lee agreed with a giggle.

I froze. She was trying to be another Avatar, someone who the people could trust and look to but someone who was still mortal. It was strangely ingenious; it might even work. I smiled.

"Well, I'm already planning on killing one Avatar? What's to stop me from killing another?"

* * *

 

Maddi

We spent several days in that nice little grotto. The part was to relax, and part was to finalize all the plans. Sokka had figured we would fly over the bay and camp on the other side for the night. We were just packing up when a voice drifted over the water.

“Hello, fellow refugees!” I jumped in shock, nearly dropping my sleeping bag. Three people were walking into the small place. A man about thirty, a woman around the same age and their teenage daughter, I guessed she was about sixteen.

“Hello!” Katara replied, face lighting up in excitement to talk to someone outside our small group. We grouped together. Over our time traveling I had discovered that when two groups of travelers or more met they would travel together for a while if going in the same direction. If not they would share a meal together and tell tales of current events. There was safety in numbers. Toph was the only one to distance herself as she didn't care for formalities. We quickly introduced each other. The couple was Than (the father) and Ying (the mother). The daughter was Lynn, and she was fifteen which she stated quite proudly.

“So are you engaged?” She asked me excitedly, looking between Sokka and me for some sign of affection. Instead, we both shot away from each other like magnets facing opposite poles.

“No!” I cried before explaining, “I'm... just a friend.”

“Aren't you getting a little old to be without a husband?” I twitched and tried to convince myself that traumatizing these people would not help our cause.

“How old do you think I am?” I asked in exasperation. Sokka quickly interjected before the girl could find herself in deep water.

“So are you folks headed to Ba Sing Se?”

“Sure are,” Than replied. His choppy dark hair was swaying as he talked, “we're trying to get there before my wife has her baby.” I frowned, Ying was heavily pregnant; traveling couldn't be either easy or comfortable. I sent a look at Sokka. He seemed to be having similar thoughts as me.

“We can get you there ourselves. Our bison can fly.”

“Thank you, but all we have to do is get to the ferries in Full Moon Bay. It's hidden from the fire nation, and after the ride, we would be escorted to Ba Sing Se in wagons.” Sokka tilted his head then nodded.

“Alright, but at least let us take you to Full Moon Bay, save you a few hours.” Ying smiled.

“Thank you, you have no idea how much that means.” I nodded and stroked Appa's side.   
“Lie down boy, we have a woman with a child coming on and-” I was cut off as Appa dropped to his stomach, pressing himself down to the earth. I blinked. For a moment, I wondered about just how much of the common tongue Appa understood.

  
Appa moved almost painfully slow as we flew to Full Moon Bay. None of us complained, though, it was clear that Ying was a little nervous about riding a flying animal, but Appa was incredibly patient.

We landed outside the opening to the secret ferry ride and walked in with Ying and her family, escorting them to make sure they got where they needed to be. I felt sadness pull my heart as I saw the amount of people who were refugees. Women, children, boys, men, and babies. Even elderly folks, eyes ancient in pain. Part of me wanted to pull them all into my arms where they would never be hurt again, but right now I had my own family, and they came first.

“I can't believe how many people have been uprooted by this war.” Katara murmured softly, as bothered by this as I was.

“We all hope to have a better life there in Ba Sing Se,” Than explained quietly. I nodded silently in response.

While Than, Ying, and Lynn got tickets to the ferry, we waited on the sidelines. I was honestly surprised with how Sokka was acting so chivalrous.

“Tickets please.” A voice snarled. I froze and spun. A girl in a green outfit and no Kyoshi warrior paint stood behind us. That didn't stop me from recognizing Suki. I froze, and a tsunami of guilt crashed down on me. Last time I had seen Suki she had been practically unconscious with a concussion and a broken leg.

“Umm, is there a problem because we were just escorting some people-”

“Yeah, there is a problem.” Suki snapped, interrupting Sokka, “I know your type, sarcastic but think you're hilarious, to noble for your own good and traveling with the Avatar.”

“Do I know you?” I wanted to scream at Sokka that it was Suki but I couldn't say a word besides a little choking sound. I felt so bad, especially when my eye traveled down to her leg and I noticed a metal brace around her knee to ankle.

“Maybe you'll remember this.” She leaned in and whispered something in Sokka's ear. Sokka's face changed from confused to shocked to delighted in a matter of seconds.

“Suki!”

“Suki?” In seconds Suki was surrounded by my companions, all excited to see her. All except Toph and I. Toph because she didn't know Suki and me because of the increasing sense of guilt.

“You look so different without makeup and that uniform.”

“Yeah I know, we all have to wear them as security guards. So what about you tough guy? Working out much?” Her eyes scanned Sokka appreciatively. With all the mock battles the two of us had done both together, and against the others, we had become quite fit.

"Pala's been wanting to practice so much we spend at least an hour on that every day. That, and I do the occasional one-on-one workout session now and then." He smiled and flexed. I blinked, I hadn't realized just how muscular Sokka had become. It made me curious about how much muscle I had gained between arriving in this world and now. Suki turned and grinned at me.

"You're being awfully quiet Maddi, come on, the girls would love to talk to you again. And I'm pretty sure Tan is just dying for a rematch." I managed a wane smile, but my eyes kept flicking to the leg brace that Suki wore. Her smile faded, and she glanced down at the brace.

"Well you can't escape every battle unscathed, that's not the way things work you know." She tried to make her voice light, but there was a decidedly bitter tone to it.

"So how's the leg healing?" Katara asked, looking at it in worry.

"Fine, I'm still using it. This brace is just to support it I'll have to wear it for a while longer-"

"If you want, I can speed the healing process," Katara offered, "I can even make sure it's healing properly too." Suki blinked in surprise.

"You can do that?" Katara nodded

"Yes, it's something that some waterbenders can do, I wasn't aware of it when we were at Kyoshi Island." Suki laughed and unbuckled the brace.

"Then feel free." Katara nodded and bent down, weaving the water from her pouch and to Suki's leg. The smallest groan of pain escaped Suki, but that was all. To my wonder the glow surrounding Suki's leg vanished as it worked right below the skin, causing her leg to shine in bioluminescence. Then it was over, and Katara stepped away. There were tears in Suki's eyes as she bent down and caressed her calf. For a moment I thought I heard her mutter something about it 'not feeling wrong anymore' but the moment passed, and she turned. Throwing her arms around Katara, Suki embraced the waterbender.

"Thank you, so much."

"It was nothing." Katara quickly assured, looking decidedly uncomfortable and embarrassed.

"So what is going on?" Toph asked me softly while Suki chatted with our companions. I leaned over and explained as quickly as I could all about Kyoshi Island and Suki. Once Toph was caught up, I turned back to the group. Apparently, I wasn't going to be able to escape Suki because the moment my eyes landed on her, she swept forwards and grabbed my hands.

“Come on you have to spar with me. I want to see how much you have improved.” I let Suki drag me out of ear shot before pulling away.

“I can't.”

“Okay tell me what's wrong, Maddi, this isn't like you,” Suki stated, eyebrows twisting down.

“What makes you think you know me? It's been months since we've seen each other. A lot has changed,” I snarled. Suki took a step back in shock.

“What is this about really?” I didn't reply, but my eyes betrayed me, flicking to Suki's now healed appendage.

“You're guilty! Why by the mother of faces are you guilty?”

“Because it was my fault you got hurt in the first place!” I barked. I felt like screaming at her to see what was in front of her, but I didn't. Suki's look of utter confusion stopped me.

“Maddi, Katara just healed me, this leg feels better than it has in years! That wasn't my first time breaking it.”

“That's not the point!” I cried in frustration. Suki grabbed my elbows.

“Maddi, you're ridiculous, you want to know who injured me? It was that guy who invaded my village; he threw me against a wall, and I fell wrong. Part of it was my fault too.”

“You blame yourself for falling wrong?” I repeated aghast, what was Suki talking about.

“Remember that I taught you how to fall? If you don't fall right, you can get hurt worse. I fell wrong and slammed my leg against a piece of wood, and my head hit the wall. It happens, true, the way he slammed into me from his rhino didn't give me a lot of time to correct my fall, but that's going to happen.”

“You're unusually reasonable,” I responded. Suki sighed and ran a hand through her short hair.

“Listen, we're in a war. If we blame every person who hurts us, there will never be peace. Sure I'm upset, he invaded my home and hurt me, but it's okay. Kyoshi Island is unhurt. The statue and buildings have been repaired, and now even my leg has been healed. No one died. That's all I can ask for so you need to give up that guilt. Come on I want to spar with you still.”

A few minutes later we returned to my companions who had been chatting with the other Kyoshi warriors, out of breath. I had been properly whipped by Suki Defeated three times in a row. I had forgotten how good Suki was. There was a squeal, and I was suddenly swamped by Kyoshi warriors who wanted to know how everything was going for me, why I had cut my hair, how I had got a tan and if I had met any cute boys. I managed to struggle away from the mass of teenage girls, but I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face. It was nice having so many people thinking about me.

“Please, you have to help us.” I turned as did everyone else. It was Ying; tears were streaming down her face as she held her husband's hand. Her daughter looked equally distraught.

“Someone robbed us, we've lost everything.” She gasped, legs nearly giving out from the strain. Two of the Kyoshi warriors, Tan and Jooda if I remembered correctly, rushed forward to help support Ying. We didn't want her to fall and hurt herself or the baby.

“I'll go talk to the manager.”

“Don't bother.” I retorted. My friends looked at me. I noticed a few of the girls send looks at each other.

“She's not going to listen she's too strict.” I explained, “But we can fly you guys across I don't think that offer went away just because you wanted to take the ferry.”   
Sokka nodded in agreement and walked up to the small family.

“We're more than willing to let you come with us.” He stated calmly.

“Then I'm going with you.” We turned to see Suki stepping up, “I'll make sure you get to the other side without any problems.”

“You don't have to do that.” Katara quickly pointed out.

“I know, but I want to.”

* * *

 

  
Riding Appa over the bay was a whole lot nicer than walking across the serpents pass. We were able to chat and relax. Sure it was a bit crowded with eight people, but Appa could carry twice the number of people when it came to space. Sokka and Suki had taken the rear and were talking quietly to each other. Katara was chatting with Lynn, Aang was sitting on Appa's head chatting with Sokka, and of course, the couple was talking about baby names and feeling for a kick. Toph was leaning against the side of Appa's saddle and snoring away in a deep sleep. I was people watching. It was interesting seeing Suki and Sokka treated each other compared to the couple expecting. Both seemed to be very close and both seemed to genuinely care for each other. However, it looked like Suki and Sokka had a stronger friendship to build their romance on. That was just my opinion of course

Because Appa was traveling slower than usual, partially from the added weight and partly because we had made the decision to go slower for the comfort of our passengers we ended up stopping on a large flat portion in the serpents pass. Sokka, Katara and I gave our sleeping bags to the small family traveling with us.

Dinner was a quiet affair, and after eating, we each split up to go our separate ways. Suki and Sokka wandered off to talk the family went to sleep while Toph, Katara, Aang and I snuggled into Appa's fur to talk until sleep claimed us.

“So what is going to happen when we get to Ba Sing Se?” Katara asked me as she stared up at the stars glittering in the sky. I fixed my eyes on the north star, who Nut represented and replied softly so as not to disturb those who traveled with us.

“In all honesty, I'm not sure. I've lost track of time, but I think we're ahead of schedule. Anyway, in Ba Sing Se things are going to get... complicated. There's a lot of politics and a conspiracy going on. That's going to make things really hard.”

“What conspiracy?” Katara asked in confusion.

“Ba Sing Se is trying to deny that the war is happening.”

“Say what?” Toph asked, suddenly alert and paid attention. Aang too looked shocked as he stared at me in wide-eyed disbelief.

“Once you're inside Ba Sing Se the war 'doesn't exist' the king, well he's little more than a figurehead. That's just the beginning.” There was quiet for a moment.

“We'll have to talk about this with Sokka later.” Katara finally decided. I nodded sleepily. Curling into a ball, I closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep.

  
We were in the air, less than fifteen minutes away from the piece of solid ground beside the pass when Ying made a little gasping sound. I blinked and looked at her. Her brown eyes were wide her dark hair swayed in the wind.

“The baby's coming.” She gasped.

“Now!” Sokka squeaked.

“Soon,” she gasped slightly, “very quickly.” I mentally cursed. Contractions. I had little knowledge about pregnancy and giving birth it had never been something I had studied. I could spew more facts about superheroes or TV shows but when it came to facts about the workings of the bodies... I was not interested. Not that I wasn't interested in that way... I quickly shook my mind out of place it had been going. There were more important things then my experiences going on here.

“We need to land, soon,” Katara stated, alarmed.

“Aang, we need to go faster,” I called.

We landed five minutes later, and Katara sprung into action.

“Toph I need you to make a shelter. Maddi, I need you to find some clean cloth, Suki, make a fire. Lynn, I need you to find some water and fill a pot with it.” We all hurried to the task that Katara had given us. I rummaged through our bags hurriedly. We always carried a lot of spare cloth and bandages, partially for any possible wounds that traveling could cause and partially because there were two mature girls on this team. I grabbed a thick wad and rushed over to the large stone building that Toph had created. Katara was looking over it with a practiced eye.

“If you can I need all this dirt and dust packed as hard as possible. I don't want any of it causing problems. Flat too.” Katara told Toph quickly. I was surprised at how easily Toph agreed. She knew that this was something that we had no time to argue about. Once those tasks were finished, we created a thin mat of spare cloth and laid it where Ying was going to be laying. Katara had the assistance of the boys to move the pregnant woman to the bed then shooed them out.

“Toph, you can go to. You're not going to be able to help much with this.” I swore that Toph looked very relieved as she booked it out of the hut as fast as she could.

“Okay Ying, I've got you set up. Now I need to know, are there any rituals or charms that are specific to your family or home that you want to use? I'm the only one here who has had training and I'm sorry to say, but my experience has been solely among the water tribe.”

“There was a charm” she gasped before continuing, “when our things were stolen.” Katara's face paled she turned to Suki who shook her head.

“Warriors aren't allowed in the birthing hut.” She explained. Katara nodded and turned back to Ying.   
  
“Are you against using a water tribe charm? I know several that should be applicable here in the earth kingdom.” Ying nodded, tears filling her eyes.

“Thank you.” Katara turned to me, looking worried.

“Do any of you have ink and brush?”

“I think Aang might.” I quickly replied, “And if not I can send him for them.” Katara and Lynn both nodded.

“If you can grab Gran-grans medical kit while you're out there too, that would be good,” Katara added. I nodded and hurried out.

Luckily Aang did have ink and a brush, so he didn't need to go looking for a town. I returned with them. Ying had a thin sheen of sweat on her face and Katara was standing by her head.

“That's right, push, follow your instincts. You've done this before Ying, you know how.” I placed the corked ink bottle and brushed on a pile of cloth.

“How long will this last?” I asked Lynn softly as I took a seat beside her.

“It could be anywhere from a few hours to overnight.” She replied quietly in return, “Father said that when I was born mother was in labor all night. It's better if its longer,”

“How is it better to be longer, your mom would be exhausted.”

“Yes but the baby is more likely to survive, unless it lasts too long, then both will die,” I stared at Lynn in confusion, trying to wrap my mind around what she said. Long ago infant mortality rate was sky-high, children often didn't live to be more than a few years old.

“Did you have other siblings?” I asked Lynn cautiously, not wanting to offend her.

“Three, two brothers and a sister. None of them lived more than five summers. Gensu might have if the fire nation hadn't ruined the crop on his third summer,” I felt bile rise in my throat. One day I might have a child here, no, one day I would have a child here. I felt myself begin to shake. How many children would I loose before one lived? I wanted to cry for all those babies lost, hundreds of children dying every day.

Eight hours later Ying was in the full throes of labor, screaming for the sky to ring with the sound. Suki and I were holding her hands, wincing in pain at the strength. Katara had corrected the way I had been holding Ying's hand. She had warned me that if Ying held my hand wrong she might break it. That had made me quite aware of how my hand was being held. I didn't want to lose motion in my hand just because I let a woman hold it wrong.

Sokka must have stuck his head in at the wrong time because he took one look and fainted dead away. Ying gave one last scream then gasped as another cry echoed hers. I watched as Katara handed the bloody, squalling baby to Lynn. She took out a knife and pressed it against the baby's belly. In one swift swipe, the umbilical cord was cut. To my surprise, instead of grabbing clothes to wash the blood off the child Katara and Lynn began chanting. It was a prayer for the good fortune and luck of the child, welcoming it into the world. It was through that chant that the child's gender was announced. Female. A baby girl.

Only after the chant was finished was the baby washed in warm water and then dried. Katara then had Lynn, and I hold the child while she wrote charms on the baby's body. One on the stomach, one on the right foot, one over the heart and finally one on the forehead. Lastly, Katara took out an ivory charm, carved from a tusk of some animal or other and placed it on top of the drying ink over the baby's heart. The child was then swaddled in clothes tightly and handed to the beaming but exhausted mother.

“What are you going to name her?” I asked the men and Toph entered the shelter nervously. Only Than wasn't cautious. Instead, he rushed to his wife's side and kissed her forehead, gazing fondly at his baby girl. Despite what people said the baby had been very ugly, a strange alien looking creature. It was the love on the faces of Ying and Than that made her beautiful. Katara and Suki both gave me strange looks.

“Babies aren't named until they're a month old,” Katara explained quickly. I nodded

“It's alright.” Ying replied with a smile, “I plan on naming her Hope, in honor of the hope you and your companions have brought us.” A small smile worked its way onto my face.

“Welcome to the world, Hope.” I whispered softly, “I wish you the greatest luck.”


	35. Ba Sing Se

Zuko

After arriving at the port on the far side of Full Moon Bay, we waited for the 'train' a series of wagons that would take us to the city. Uncle had been reminiscing about 'old times' when he had come to Ba Sing Se to conquer it. I didn't understand how he could treat it so lightly. Lu Ten had died because of that battle.

I had never seen my uncle cry, not when his wife died, not when he attended Lu Ten's burial, not even after my father burnt me. I closed my eyes and drifted into thought. When those burials had happened, I believed my uncle to be strong and brave because a strong, brave person didn't cry. But after I had been scared I had felt angry. He should have been devastated, upset but instead, he walked into my room with a smile. I had hated him then, but I was beginning to see another side to my uncle. My uncle didn't show his emotions when upset he acted like everything was okay to ease the lives of those around him.

The three people who we had met on the ferry ride were talking a little ways away from us. Flicking my eyes open I studied them. Longshot, Smellerbee, and Jet. Unusual names, not that I had the right to judge. They were false names, just like Lee and Mushi were. A strangled cry came to my right. Spinning, I saw my uncle gag on a small cup of tea. I allowed myself to relax as he complained about the temperature. What was going to happen to us here? I knew Uncle Iroh would be happy but would I? Should I have taken Aang's offer to be his teacher? Would have have even been a good one? I didn't know. If I had taken it though I would have been closer to Maddi and she was the only one with answers to my questions.

“The train is here!” Someone shouted in the distance. I turned, calling to my uncle that we needed to go, barely noticing the steam rising from his wooden cup.

* * *

Maddi

My eyes scanned the ground between us and Ba Sing Se. There was no sign of the drill. A mix of both elation and horror coursed through me. I knew we weren't behind schedule and I doubted that Ba Sing Se had been lost which left only a few options. No one else was aware of what was wrong, and they continued chatting easily amongst each other. Only Sokka was quiet, staring off into space. Probably thinking of Suki I realized. We had dropped her off on the other side of Full Moon Bay where she would take one of the ferries back to her sisters.

We were almost at the wall when Aang started steering Appa into a slowly descending spiral. We landed on the wall.

“Aang what's going-?”

“Who are you and what gives you the right just to walk into Ba Sing Se?” Aang jumped off Appa's head to come face to face with a short, bristly man who had more attitude and hubris then should have been possible for his size. The guy was barely taller then Aang for crying out loud.

"My name's Aang, and I'm the avatar. These are my companions, Sokka and Katara from the southern water tribe,  Maddison and Toph from the earth kingdom." He pointed at each of us as he said our names. I leaped off Appa at the sound of my name, grinning like a maniac. I did not like this man. My friends shook their heads and descended from Appa's tail, all except Toph who was quick to follow me.

"We're escorting some refugees who had their tickets stolen so if you could can you take care of them?" Aang asked as Than helped his wife and daughter off the bison. For a while, I thought the small man was going to punch him. Instead, he gestured over a couple of guards to take Ying, Than, Lynn, and Hope down off the wall. Once the 'civilians' we're off the wall the short man turned and introduced himself.

"My name is Sung, Captain of the Guards. Now, while I'm pleased to meet you, Avatar Aang, there are some rules and one of them is that civilians are not allowed on the wall. And I'm afraid the rule is the same for… animals." His lip twisted slightly at the mention of Appa whose length was as deep as the wall. Aang shrugged, not seeming bothered by the man's distaste for his bison.

"What's that?" I turned, Toph's voice sounded pitched and unusually girlish.

"What's what?" In reply, Toph pointed out into the distance. I didn't know that she could feel something that far away. The strength of her 'sight' never ceased to surprise me. Following her finger, I saw a small plume of dust coming toward us. I had no doubts about what it was. I had forgotten how fast Appa could fly, even when traveling slower for the comfort of guests. The fire nation wasn't late we were early.

"General, I suggest you get some reinforcements," I stated, stepping forward to peer out over the plain before us, "There is about to be an attack on Ba Sing Se."

"What?" I turned to see Aang looking at the small dust cloud. Katara and Sokka right beside him.

"What are you talking about? No one has attempted to take Ba Sing Se since the fire nation five years ago. Why by Prithvi would anyone try now?" Sung was looking particularly cross at the idea. My friends ignored him, instead of turning to me.

"Azula?" Katara asked. I nodded.

"In a metal machine similar to what they used to chase us down, remember? Well, they've adapted it for this particular purpose." I could hear the venom in my voice.

"How could we forget?" Clear sarcasm from Sokka. I found myself smiling anyway. Sokka knew how to defuse a situation. General Sung was not happy that we were taking over his job in the least and he quickly stepped in.

"Well thank you for your time, but you're not needed."

"Not needed?" Katara echoed, wide-eyed at the general's stupidity.

"Of course not, the fire nation has never succeeded in an attack on the wall before, and they aren't now."

"How about the dragon of the west? General Iroh? He got in." Toph pointed out, more than a little annoyed at the man's incompetence.

"Yes well, he was quickly expunged."

"No, he called a retreat because his son and heir had been killed and he realized that this campaign was pointless. If he had wanted to he would have marched all the way to the palace." I replied, still not looking at Sung. The poor general gaped at me, opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish several times before giving up and walking away.

"Is that true?" Aang asked me in shock. I felt myself twitch. My mind was whirling with ideas of how to face Azula and her drill.

"Yes, any ideas?"

"You don't know?"

"Why is everyone questioning me?!" Noticing Sokka open his mouth I snapped.

"That was rhetorical." There was silence for a while.

"Well, I say we need a closer look." Toph finally decided.

"That sounds good." Sokka agreed I could practically see the cogs turning in his head as he thought about what needed to be done. He then split us into two groups, he and Toph would scout out the drill while Katara, Aang, and I would man the wall.

While Toph and Sokka were gone Aang and Katara turned to me.

"Can you give us any warning?" Katara asked. I bit my lip. A strange sense of foreboding crawled along my spine.

“That machine is a drill. It's going to burrow straight through the wall like a child's finger through sand.” Katara paled considerably as she processed what I had just said.

A few moments later Toph and Sokka joined us again. As Sokka reported what he had seen as General Sung reappeared with several hundred guards and another group of men who I was surprised to recognize as the 'Terra Team' the name was pathetically corny, but it was still enough to inspire Sokka to start thinking of team names for us. As luck would have it, we didn't have to hear about it yet. The drill was almost halfway across the plain now, and I realized that we would soon be infiltrating the metal behemoth. Another shiver of cold ran down my spine. Something was going to happen, the dread and stress was building inside of me, and I found myself terrified.

“It's unstoppable,” one of the guards whispered in horror as the Terra Team was forced back.

“From the outside,” I replied. Obviously, I hadn't been as quiet as I believed myself to be as Sokka spun, nearly giving himself whiplash.

“That's it! We'll take it down from the inside!”

  
Creeping underground was very uncomfortable. Unable to see anything I nearly tripped over Toph and stepped on Katara's foot. All of us were miserable, except Toph who was literally in her element.

“That's it, it's right overtop now.” Toph told us, bending the dirt 'roof' above us out of the way. The space between the ground and the bottom of the drill was tall enough that Katara, Aang, and Toph didn't have to worry about their heads. Sokka and I did. Sokka had been growing quite a lot recently, and I realized that if he kept up this pace, he would be Zuko's height in a few months from now.

“There!” Sokka pointed, his neck craned at an awkward angle. Aang bounced up, climbing inside the gap in the metal bottom and leaning back down to help Katara, Sokka and myself into it.

“Toph? You coming?” I ask, sticking my head back down.

“No way am I going in that metal monster I can't bend in there! I'll try to slow it down from out here.”

“Okay, good luck.”

We hurried deeper into the drill. It was unusually warm in here, several degrees above the temperature outside in fact. Sokka and Katara looked like they were ready to start sweating. I reveled in it. I loved warmer temperatures; both poles had been uncomfortable for me. I had gotten used to it, but there is a big difference then acceptance and enjoyment.

“I need the plan to this machine, schematics or something, to find its weak points.” Sokka quickly told us, frowning in thought for a moment. Making a decision, he took his club and bashed it against a pipe beside us.

“What are you doing?” Aang cried in shock, “someone will hear!”

“That's the point,” Sokka explained, “A big machine like this will need a lot of mechanics to keep it working, one of them is bound to come. They'll probably have plans to the entire machine with them.”

True to Sokka's belief a mechanic arrived, a set of papers in his hand and began tinkering with the pipe. Once he fixed it, Katara froze him to the wall, and Sokka darted out, stealing the scroll of schematics. He looks it over, assessing the drill before quickly filling us in on his plan.

“The drill is separated by these braces, if we can cut through them the entire thing will collapse.” I bit my lip then spoke up.

“Sokka, the actual braces are too thick to cut through, it will take a long time. We should weaken a large section and then strike a blow right above.” I could see Sokka's mind working. Finally, he nodded.

“Like what Toph's been telling me.” Aang cried, his eyes lighting up excitedly, “hit a series of points then go in for the final blow!”

I watched in awe as Aang and Katara worked in tandem to file through the support beams. One by one each beam was weakened. Then there was a rumble. We all looked up as it was announced that we had just made contact with the wall. I realized that we were still at least two hours ahead of schedule and grinned.

“Alright, Aang you need to go above and make the final blow,” Sokka told the young Airbender with a contagious grin. We walked away, back towards the point we had entered only to find the engineer gone. My eyes widened. He was probably telling Azula and cohorts about us right now.

“Aang, we got to-”

“DUCK!” I hit the ground as a familiar black needle-like dagger shot above us and hit the wall, quivering.

“Wow, look Azula, it's the avatar. And friends.” Ty Lee sent a wink at Sokka, who looked confused and waved in response. Katara wasn't going to let Sokka jus sit there, she grabbed his arm and took off, quickly followed by Aang and I. Swinging my bow off my back where it had been sitting for the last few hours I knocked an arrow and shot, missing as Ty Lee flipped out of the way. Aang shot a blast of air to counter a shot of fire from Azula.

“Where are you going?” Azula shouted, “Just give up there's nowhere you can go girl-of-all-nations.” My heart froze. I felt like Katara had covered me with a thin layer of ice. Azula knew? How? What on earth was going on?

I narrowly escaped becoming crisp girl-of-all-nations when Aang grabbed my arm and dragged me away from a bolt of fire that Azula had shot at me. Internally my head hurt as I tried to figure out how Azula had heard of that. Her brother certainly wouldn't have told her, and I wasn't aware that I had that major of a reputation. We came to a T intersection, one way leading to the outside, the other to a more... dirty way outside. We didn't even talk, instinctively breaking into two groups, Sokka and Katara going one way, Aang and I the other. The only conversation came from Katara who gave Aang her water pouch.

Aang grabbed my arm and began airbending, sending us both flying down the hall at impossible speeds for the average human. Coming to a dead end Aang slammed on the brakes, stopping himself but forcing me against a wall. I winced. There is going to be an ugly mark on my cheek from this I just know it. Aang shot up the ladder, and I followed close behind. The last thing I wanted was to fall far enough behind that Azula might find me alone. Her voice echoed in my ears. If she knew about the girl-of-all-nations thing then, did she know about the rest? Avatar and spirit guide? What would Aang's reaction be if he found out what I had been saying?

We stuck our heads out of the hatch and clambered up. While Aang began to form a target for his strike, cutting an X into the metal and dodging the rocks earthbenders from General Sung's wall were pouring down on the drill. They don't even dent the metal. I felt anger well up inside me. Those fools were causing more trouble for us than the drill. Of course, Sung was a coward, my distaste for the man expanded.

I carefully notched an arrow, keeping an eye on both the hatch that we came from and the rocks. I didn't want to get hit in the head by a badly-aimed rock when I was supposed to be watching for Azula.

“What I'd give to be a metal bender.” My ears perked at Aang's muttered wish. Metal bender? I didn't have time to ponder it as Azula sprang out of the hatch. I let my arrow fly and grin as it connected. Azula roared in rage, had flying to her cheek. Her gold eyes landed on me.

“You.” She hissed. Aang looked up.

“Focus on your job!' I shouted at him as I loose another arrow at the fire nation princess. It missed by a mile. The air charged as Azula began her lightning strike. I shouted something and ducked. To my horror, she didn't aim at me.

Electricity coursed through the air, missing Aang by less than an inch.

“You know I am curious.” Azula drawled from where she stood, gold eyes glinting, “Who are you?”

“Like I'd tell you,” I shout back, letting another arrow fly. This one missed as well. I notched another arrow when her strategy occurred to me. She was going to try to let me run out of arrows because unlike her I had a limit on how many shots I could take.

“Well at least tell me your name, it is civil after all. My name is Azula, daughter of Fire Lord Ozai.” Anger flared within me as I snapped.

“Sister of Zuko crown prince of the fire nation, niece of Iroh, Dragon of the West, daughter of Fire Lady Ursa, and child prodigy. I know everything about you, but you know nothing about me.” I mocked. With every name I had said she had grown angrier. A thick bolt of blue fire flew at me. I hit the ground as it sailed right above but uncomfortably close.

“Tell me who you are!” She bellowed, charging me like a mad bull. I yelped and dodged out of the way. She expected that. I shrieked as her arm pushed me, I lost my balance and slipped on the curved metal. I screamed as I slipped over the side. There is a cry, and a strong gust of air slowed my descent as a soft hand wrapped around my wrist. Aang dragged me back up onto the metal machine. While I laid on my back, panting, Aang engaged Azula.

Once my shaking body felt solid and not like it was made of Jell-O I stood and notched an arrow again. It's then the slurry exploded from every open part of the drill, knocking us all off our feet.

I lost Azula in a mess. While I looked around, trying to figure out where she would reappear from, Aang formed a rock spike from one of the boulders. I watched in awe as he grabbed it and propelled himself straight up the sheer wall using airbending. He was almost at the top when he dropped and tossed the spike below, using airbending to add to its speed along with his weight. The spike thrust itself deep into the drill, causing a chain reaction of segments breaking apart and enough slurry exploding to drown an elephant Koi.

I wiped the mud off my face in disgust. My entire body was covered in the stuff and soaked all the way through. Not that Aang looked much better, except for the grin on his face.

  
Toph and Katara's joint efforts got the mud off us which I was very thankful for. I couldn't forget Azula though, she was curious about me, and I had only made it worse by showing off and baiting her.

“I just want to say, good job out there Team Avatar.” Sokka grinned. The rest of us shared a look.

“Sokka no matter how many times you say that its not going to catch on.” Katara pointed out.

“How about... the BoomerAang squad, because it has Aang in it?”

“Keep dreaming.” I teased.

“I kinda like that one,” Aang admitted with a guilty smile. I rolled my eyes.

“The Aang Gang?”

“Sokka,” Katara warned, despite the smile on her face.

“The fearsome foursome?”

“There's five of us.” Toph pointed out. I sighed and turned.

“If you're going to give us a name how about the Gaang?” There was silence for a moment before Katara sniggered. Suddenly everyone was laughing.

“Seriously?” Toph gasped, clutching her sides.

“That's what you guys are known as in my world.” The laughing subsided.

“Really?” Aang asked.

“I kid you not,” I responded with a grin.

“It isn't that bad,” Katara admitted turning to the rest of us. I shrugged.

“Whatever you guys choose. It's not serious, though.” Shaking their heads Aang, Katara, Toph and I headed down off the wall to our residence for the night leaving Sokka on the wall.

“Seriously! Why do you all take her side!” He shouted before running after us and joining in the teasing laughter.


	36. Secrets and Lies

The train was fascinating. Watching earth benders propel a few hundred pound train along with its passengers was amazing, especially since there were only two of them. My eyes flicked everywhere, taking in the full expanse of the fields around Ba Sing Se. The first layer was mainly fields and farms, enough to feed the entire city. The size of Ba Sing Se was terrifying, it was larger then some countries back in my old world. Despite how incredible and awe-inspiring it was I didn't feel comfortable. Like when I traveled to the city with my family, it was fun, exciting even but it was not somewhere you wanted to stay long. It wasn't safe, it wasn't comforting, it wasn't home. The only difference was that Ba Sing Se had a puppet for a king, a small army of earth benders who would follow any order without question, and brainwashed women who were working as tour guides. I was not going to be relaxing much while I was here.

Aang was flying Appa to a large barn that the 'government' had provided. That in itself made me sick to my stomach, and I had whispered several warnings to Appa before he and Aang left. I felt silly doing it, but Appa seemed to understand human speech better than some people at times. I just hoped that he understand my warnings because I didn't trust the Dai Li. Appa hadn't been the only one I warned last night, Aang to had been told if any suspicious characters were around Appa's barn, especially if they were in green and black armor, to get Appa out of there and let him find himself his own home. I wasn't going to let one of my friends get hurt if I could avoid it, even Appa or Momo. Which brought me to a darker thought. End of season.

End of season two involved Aang getting killed by Azula, only surviving because of Katara's spirit water. I wanted to stop it, but the truth was I didn't know how. How was I supposed to stop Azula from entering Ba Sing Se, pretend to be Suki, and then imprisoning her brother and Katara? I didn't see any way unless I tried to distract her from Aang. The problem was that when he was in the avatar state I could jump on one foot and cluck like a chicken and no one would notice me. I just wasn't important enough. Besides what was I going to do? Risk my life again; possibly even die to save someone? I had done it with Yue, but everyone had been furious and worried. I would do it again, but it would be impossible to jump in between Azula and Aang at that moment. Besides Aang's death had some advantages. I dragged my thoughts out of the dark path I had been on. Who was I to choose who would live and die, even temporarily? This was Aang, a good friend and a little brother to me. I would do everything I could to help him, just as much effort as I had with Yue and Appa. Both times it had worked out it would work out again, I knew it.

I didn't pay much attention to my friend's conversation, my thoughts wandering in their own direction. I did notice the looks we were getting, though, especially Sokka and I. With our variety of weapons and my scars (although Sokka had a few of his own as well) we were to conspicuous. I shot a look at one man who had been pointing at us for a girl. They had probably been talking about us. Distaste curdled my stomach.

As soon as the train stopped, we scrambled out. My eyes were instantly drawn to two figures standing in the crowd. The first was an earth kingdom woman in her early to mid-twenties and the second was Aang who was looking particularly upset. As we approached and the station emptied we were able to hear what they were saying.

"I assure you the avatar that the Dai Li were just there to make sure that your bison was safe. Unfortunately even Ba Sing Se has thieves that were the only reason."

"I saw that 'barn,' Appa would never have been happy there anyways. Besides, I don't care what you say those Dai Li people looked suspicious and I wasn't going to leave Appa in their care. I wouldn't leave a rock under their care." Joo Dee's ever present smile twitched but stayed fixed. Noticing us, she turned.

"Hello, my name is Joo Dee. I have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se. And you must be Sokka, Katara, Maddison, and Toph. Welcome to our wonderful city. Shall we get started?" I twitched. Except for my name Joo Dee's speech was identical to the one I knew from the show. I notice Aang too looked deeply disturbed by her words. Had she used the same speech to him just minutes before? Sokka didn't notice the strange looks but plowed on straight ahead.

"Yes, we have to see the earth king. We have urgent information regarding the fire nation."

"Great, let's begin our tour." Sokka's mouth dropped in outrage as Joo Dee completely ignored him, "And then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it." Sokka stared as she walked away and down the steps of the station. After a moment he fell into line beside me.

"Please tell me that she is deaf and didn't hear me." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"I wish I could tell you that."

Down the marble steps a carriage awaited. It was a little squished trying to fit six people into the carriage. Joo Dee sat with her back to the driver. Aang and I both insisted on sitting across from her, our mistrust for the woman palatable. Toph sat between us, leaving Sokka and Katara to work out their seating beside Joo Dee. Eventually, Joo Dee got the window seat while an unhappy Sokka ended up sitting beside her. The carriage rattled into motion, but the conversation did not go with it. Eventually, Joo Dee began to speak, pointing out the names of the walls we passed and of course the name of the train station we had come from. I ignored her until we rattled into the lower ring.

"And this is the lower ring." Katara frowned, noticing more walls still ahead.  
"So what's this wall for."   
"Separating the 'poor and quaint' from dirtying the 'better parts' of the city" I practically snarled in reply, if I had been born here in Ba Sing Se, my family would have been forced to live here among the 'untouchables.' It disgusted me. People were people no matter what the social standing. Joo Dee twitched and hurriedly asked the carriage driver to continue.

Joo Dee continued her tour, but she was jumpy. My snarky comments and Sokka's insistence to talk to the earth king coupled with her argument over the Dai Li with Aang was slowly breaking her. I would have felt more pity for the woman if her family had been helping hostage or something, but as it was, she could not control what she said or how she acted so I could not spare my pity. My friends were my top priority at all times.

We came to a stop outside a beautiful house decorated in the usual earth kingdom colors. I noticed with interest there was a good sized backyard with what looked to be a flying bison tail peeking out from behind the house.

"Here we are." Joo Dee stated. Her voice projected. I sniggered when the tail vanished behind the house, "Your new home."

A dark-haired messenger passed Joo Dee a scroll before sprinting off again.

"More good news, your request for an audience with the Earth King is being processed, and should be put through in about a month. Much more quickly than usual." I watched the reaction of my companions with interest. Toph looked bored, and she was probably the only one in the group that expected such a long wait. Katara and Aang had similar expressions of shock while Sokka was spluttering like a fish out of the water.

“A month!” Sokka finally blurted, eyes bulging.

“Six to eight weeks,” Joo Dee replied with that infuriating smile.

* * *

 

The first day was pretty uneventful after that we unloaded our stuff into the upstairs of the house which had a separate room for each of us with one left over. I was surprised that a house this small could not only have a six bedrooms but two bathrooms as well. Although under all technicality it was a closet that acted like a port-a-potty (which all bathrooms in houses were like apparently after a conversation with Katara) and the other was a washroom with a mirror, sink and metal bathtub that was kept heated by a fireplace so the water wouldn't go cold. I planned to make use of this miracle as soon as evening came. While the boys and Toph checked out the rest of the house and backyard, I found myself with Katara checking out the kitchen. There was an oven, made very differently than I was used to, but Katara seemed quite pleased with it. There were plenty of cupboards full of dishes and much to the delight of Katara and me, raw materials to cook with. Flower, spices, a jar of white powder which Katara told me was used for rising bakery products (baking soda or powder I assumed), sugar, and many other dry materials.

“Come on Pala, I want to check out the ice room.” I lifted my head out of a small pot of raw vanilla bean where I had been savoring the aroma to blink at my younger companion.

“Ice room?”

The ice room in question was an underground pantry which, as the name suggested, was full of ice blocks but the temperature was only a little colder than the average freezer, either that or despite my reluctance I had adjusted to pole temperatures. Inside the room which was twice the size of my bedroom, there was a large roll of cheese covered in wax to protect it, several glass bottles of a white liquid which I assumed to be milk beside which there was a rack of eggs. The lettuce and greens were at the front, right by the stairs where it was the warmest while the meats were hidden deep in the back between three walls of ice. Katara moved around, inspecting the ice to check for any signs of melting. While she focused on that inspiration struck. Lighting up like the fourth of July I grabbed a bottle of milk, a handful of eggs, and headed upstairs.

Once I was in the kitchen, I gathered all the supplies I needed. The baking soda, flour, sugar... I paused for a moment before grabbing the salt as well. I wondered briefly if there was a milk churn somewhere in here or if I had completely missed the butter. A few seconds later Katara walked in, looking at me in confusion while I ran around mad looking for a big spoon.

“What are you doing?” She asked, noticing the ridiculous amount of flower I had managed to get myself covered in.

“Making a recipe from my world!” I replied in excitement, “but I'm missing butter and buttermilk, is there any down there?” Katara smiled.

“I don't know, I'll go look again. We don't get a lot of butter at the pole, it goes to fast.” I nodded and went back to figuring out measurements without the use of the tools I was used to. A few moments Katara returned with a bowl of a soft cream colored butter and a bottle of thick liquid of a similar colour. I grinned, thanked her then asked if she could take care of the stove for me. As I stirred the batter, I smiled to myself. Back at home, I had used an electric mixer, but here I could mix the mixture without my arm getting tired.

An hour and a stack of misshapen pancakes later we called the others for lunch. The pancakes had been covered with berries and a thick cold cream. Sokka dug into his stack with gusto, while Aang politely compared it to a desert he had tried long ago. Katara was equally polite but Toph, ever the blunt one choose to speak her mind.

"Don't get me wrong, it's nice enough, just… not my idea of good food."

"That's fine, it was something to try, you didn't have to like it," I replied with a shrug.

 

After lunch, we sat at the table talking. Because Appa was okay we didn't have to go looking for him, but we weren't willing to just sit around.

"Well, if we have to wait that long to get the earth king's approval we might as well see if we have support from the general populace." I finally started. Sokka nodded thoughtfully.

"She's got the point,"

"So you're suggesting we walk up to a few random strangers and ask them what their opinion on the war is and if they'll do anything? That's a little… dangerous don't you think?" Katara frowned deeply. She was clearly troubled.

"I don't know we don't want to cause to much trouble do we?" I bit my lip in thought. The only problem would be if the Dai Li got involved. My mind once again strayed towards the events that were fast approaching I was scared. I wanted to warn my friends, and at the same time I didn't with a jolt I realized that I wanted control over who would know and who wouldn't. I felt disgust well up inside me. What gave me the right to control their lives? I wanted to believe it was because I wanted to protect them and fear of everything going out of control but was that the problem?

"Pala? Is everything okay?" I jerked at Katara's voice.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I lied. I could see Katara's doubt, but she didn't question and instead headed out with Aang and Toph. Sokka, on the other hand, wasn't going to let me get away that easily.

"So what's really going on?" I sighed and pinched the bridge on my nose.

"There's something coming up and I… I don't know how to face it."

"So tell us, we can help." I wanted to scream at him that it wasn't that easy. Instead, I took a breath.

"I… I'm worried that if I tell too many people, everything will get out of control. This, in particular, is so touchy but if I don't change things I won't be able to forgive myself but if I do I don't know what would happen because some of the things that happen are somewhat significant. I mean sure, the day of black sun was completely botched...” I trailed off noticing Sokka look.

“Sorry, I was just working myself up there. My point is I don't know what to do.” I admitted softly.

“If you don't want to tell the others then maybe just tell me.” He replied. I looked at Sokka for a moment before nodding. I trusted him, not that I didn't trust the others I just knew that he wouldn't try to take things into his hands without talking to me.

“Things are about to go to hell in a hand basket. Near the end Azula comes here, captures Katara and Zuko, locks them away and then when Aang goes to rescue them... he's killed.” Sokka jerked backward like I had shot him, eyes wide in horror.

“It's not all that bad!” I blurted quickly, “Katara uses the special water from the Spirit Oasis to bring him back.”

“How does anything good come of that?” Sokka hissed. I realized that he was more upset than he had let on which was saying something. I should have been more upset too, and this was Aang. Somehow in my mind though, all my friends weren't linked to the characters I knew, it was almost like the series I knew was like the Ember Island Players version of our lives. It wasn't true; there was so much different I couldn't connect them as one and the same anymore. Thinking deeply I realized that nothing good came from Aang's 'death', sure the world thought he was dead, but the fire nation hadn't been taken down on the day of black sun, no one had been looking for the avatar sure, but Azula has already begun to suspect that he wasn't really dead. But how could I stop it? I didn't know, and that itself was bothering me.

“You're right. I... I don't know how to stop it.” Sokka sighed.

“How long?” I blinked.

“How long until this event is supposed to happen?” He reiterated patiently.

“Three weeks to a month,” I responded after a moment, brow creased in thought. He nodded, eyes serious.

“Let's take it one step at a time then.” 

* * *

Of all the people I had expected to see, Joo Dee was not one of them.

“What's she doing here?” I hissed as I came up alongside Katara who was frowning as Joo Dee conversed with Aang.

“I don't know, and she won't tell us why she was just waiting outside the house when we came out.” Katara didn't look any happier than I felt. A very pleasing image of my hands wrapping around Joo Dee's neck flashed before my eyes, but I repressed it quickly.

“I must insist that I come along, you are our guests, it would be rude to leave you on your own.” Joo Dee told Aang, her face still stuck in that painfully fake smile. Gritting my teeth I began to storm down the road, my goal past Aang and the annoying woman when she stepped into my path.

“Please, allow me to accompany you.” That was it.

“No, you are not allowed to accompany us. Not only is it perfectly acceptable for us to travel alone, as we have been doing so for several months now, but you gave us that house as our home. Therefore we are not guests.” My frustration and stress had been building up inside me since we had first seen the wall and now that I had loosed the cork with Sokka the rest was in perfect position for an explosion.

“And as we are not guests you do not need to escort us. In fact how about you just toddle home to the Dai Li, report us and get it done and over with.” Joo Dee staggered back as if struck and I realized that once again my stress had gotten the better of me and I had blurted out more than I should have. The mask was broken, and Joo Dee piratically bolted into the carriage and took off. There was silence for a moment.

“Do you want to explain what just happened?”

“I thought it was sweet.” Toph grinned, unaware of Katara's annoyed expression.

“I'd rather not.” Aang and Sokka shared a look and shrugged in tandem. I glared at them, only to be ignored and set off down the street. My thoughts are whirling. Perhaps there was a way I could stop that whole encounter from happening, but for it to work, I would need to warn Zuko and Iroh. I knew they were in the city, in the lower ring, the question was where. Of course, if I said I was looking for the best Tea maker in Ba Sing Se within a few days I should be directed to the right place. If there was one thing I could count on it was that Iroh wasn't going to hold back on his tea masterpieces.

We wandered through Ba Sing Se's middle, higher and a little of the lower class districts. Without Joo Dee there people were more willing to talk, but still extremely nervous. Interestingly enough we got the most response from those in the lower rings, those in the higher rings had the most to loose in the end, and some were honestly unaware of that war. Those in the middle class were a lot more aware of the war but thought we were blowing things way out of proportion.

By the end of the day we were exhausted and more than ready to take a break. There had been little interest in any war effort, even those in the lower class who had both understood and occasionally sympathized seemed unwilling to leave. It was more than a little off-putting. We returned to our house, unaware of that there was about to be a change that none of us could have expected.

* * *

  
A shaken Joo Dee stared up wide-eyed at the men surrounding her.

“I don't know how she knew, but she did. She knew about you and my purpose... please don't be angry it wasn't my fault!” The men stayed quiet, still, unresponsive, waiting for one in their midst to speak.

“No, it was not your fault Joo Dee, although I do have some good news. Joo Dee, the earth king, has invited you to Lake Laogai.” Joo Dee's panic faded away as her iris' opened wide making her eyes look entirely black.

“I am honored to accept his invitation.”


	37. Choppy Waters

Zuko

I watched in silence as Jet was dragged away by the Dai Li. I would have felt sorry for the guy if he hadn't been a threat to my uncle and I. He wasn't a bad person but I couldn't afford to give him my pity.

Uncle placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave me a small nod when I looked at him. The crowd slowly dispersed either back to their business or back into the tea shop. One of the soldiers who had stood up for me against the Dai Li stepped forward and reached to clasp my hand.

“You're a damn good fighter, son. We need someone like you in the army.” My mouth became dry with the praise. They wanted me in the army, the avatar wanted me to be his firebending teacher, I had never had so many people want me. In hindsight that was a little sad, I realized.

I returned to the tea shop and quietly went back to work, cleaning up the splintered wood and spilled the tea. Avoiding any more attention. Despite my sincere wish to go, unnoticed everyone, I passed congratulated me. A few even tipped more than usual.

“Did you hear the avatar was in Ba Sing Se?” After three years of searching and all my mixed feelings regarding that subject if Aang's title was ever mentioned I was going to hear. I slowly moved to mop closer to the table discussing. There were two men, both earth kingdom, judging from the way they dressed and looked they were better suited for the middle ring.

“Someone mentioned it earlier I wasn't paying attention. What happened?” The men's companioned grinned and leaned in closer.

“Apparently he is looking for people who wish to support his cause and fight the firenation.”

“You're kidding.” The other man gasped.

“I'm just getting started. Apparently, he has quite a group with him. Water tribe royalty, a noble woman as his earthbending master and... a girl of all four nations.” I dropped the mop. Maddi was here, and now she was introducing herself as the girl of all four nations?

“Where did you hear this?”

“It's been going around for some time, someone mentioned something about desert traders, that was the source I think.” The second man shook his head as I tried to return to mopping again, only to discover my hands were shaking.

“So these people are all here, in Ba Sing Se?”

“That's what I heard.”

“You're insane.” The two men laughed, dropped several coins on the table and left. I just stared at the table for a moment, completely lost within my mind.

* * *

  
Katara

I had become leery of anyone waiting outside my door since the event with Joo Dee yesterday. So when I opened the door to find myself face to face with a man, I instinctively reacted, throwing him down with an ice-hard bolt of water before I looked to see who it was. It was an earth kingdom man in his forties. He had green eyes two thin strips of mustache and an equally thin strip of black hair hanging from his chin. His outfit was clearly that of nobility, green and black with gold detailing. He looked completely shocked before he laughed.

“Please forgive me, I did not mean to startle you, I was looking for the girl named Maddison.”

“What do you want with her,” I asked, wary. Pala was my friend, my first friend outside the water tribe and like a big sister to me at times. Other times she made me crazy with her unwillingness to tell us what was going on. I had a feeling that if anyone was looking for her, it was probably because she was in trouble. Papa had an annoying tendency to get into trouble, much like Sokka.

“Just to talk. My name is Long Feng, and I am the Earth King's cultural minister.” I paused, unsure. This man was powerful. I didn't want to offend him. At the same time, my worry for Pala grew. What had she done to cause this? Still, I couldn't exactly argue, but I could make sure that she would be safe.

“Just give me a moment.” I turned briskly and walked back in, shopping forgotten. Snapping the door closed I sighed then headed straight to Pala's room. Outside I waited a moment then knocked. I knew that Pala would respond if she were in there. I felt some small part of me hoping that she wasn't. That way I could tell this Long Feng fellow to leave and try again later. I bit my lip. I didn't want him coming back at all. Something instinctual was telling me that something was very wrong.

“Hey.” I jerked, blinking and looked up to see Pala looking at me. Despite the fact that I had been growing a lot recently I was still shorter than her. Not that I had a lot of chances of being taller. Both my mother and gran-gran were shorter then Pala.

“Is something wrong?” She asked. I could tell that she noticed I was uncomfortable.

“There was someone asking for you.” Pala's face turned into a frown, brow forced down. It caused her already dark eyes to look almost black.

“Got it, wait here.” Cold fury knotted in my stomach. I was not going just to stand by. I waited for her to head down the hall before rushing to Aang's room. Sokka had announced earlier that he was going to train for a few hours and he wasn't back yet. Aang and Toph though were still at home.

"Oh, hey Katar-" Aang was cut off when I grabbed him by the arm and began to drag him down the hallway.

"Whoa, slow down there. What's with all the ruckus?" Toph stepped out from behind her door and yawned extravagantly.

"Pals has a visitor, Ba Sing Se's cultural minister. I don't trust him something is… off about that man." I explained. Toph grinned like a feral cat and cracked her knuckles.

"Cool, this place was getting really boring."

* * *

  
Maddi

I took a deep breath. Long Feng was standing on the other side of the door, and the thought terrified me. Biting my lip I hoped that I could trick him, if I was very, very lucky, I might be able to pull the wool over his eyes.

I opened the door and plastered on a smile that I hoped looked genuine and not like I was trying to copy Joo Dee.

"Minister, what a surprise." I stated, "please do come in." Inside I was shaking in my shoes, but I needed to portray a visage of calmness. I silently begged any spirits listening for the best acting skills they could lend, if only for a short time.

"Thank you, you're Maddison I presume?" Long Feng asked, cold green eyes fixed on my like I was roadkill and him a vulture.

"I am, thank you." This was bad, very, very bad. Why was Long Feng here in the first place? What had I done to cause this unusual ripple?

"Would you like some tea minister?" I asked, letting him take a seat at the table.

"No thank you, we have much to discuss you and me." I was sure that shiver ran through my whole body. Had he seen it? My eyes raked him over he was wearing his usual garb, green with a black coat over top and bright gold detailing. Clear signs of his wealth and power. Had he met Azula yet? To my shame, I realized I didn't remember when he and Azula had met. My memory was faded until the Tales of Ba Sing Se and Lake Laogai, but after that, it became foggy again.

"About what minister?" I winced as my voice cracked. The predatory look in Long Feng's eyes intensified. Damn that man to the darkest pits of hell, I mentally hissed.

"Maybe I should be asking you that, Palartok, Maddison, Girl of all four nations and spirit guide. Quite a hefty title, even for a girl of your age." I was petrified, unable to move, carved out of glass. He knew. How did he know? I hadn't used that entire title to anyone but… my thought trailed off, landing on the sand benders. Apparently, my dramatic rescue of Appa had created an effect far beyond anything that I could have imagined. But there was something I could use to one-up him. Using my anger at him as fuel I laughed. Long Feng's face contorted as I laughed at him.

"Well, I must admit I didn't realize that my lies would reach such influential places." I chuckled, "I made up the most impressive name for myself that I could manage and used it to scare away those savages who were trying to steal our bison." For a split second, I thought I had won, that I had checkmated him in this verbal duel. I was wrong.

"So I am assuming that the story of La herself raising you from the dead is also false." Where was he getting this information? I felt a shiver run through my spine. I was in major trouble if the rumors had reached the North Pole. Who else had heard about me? I realized with a sinking feeling that the ripples had become choppy water when I wasn't looking. Was there any way to fix this? I looked at Long Feng and realized with a sinking heart that I couldn't repair damage already done. I couldn't time travel, and dimension travel had been far to much for me as it was.

"What else do you know?"

"Just that there is a very large bounty from the fire nation with your name on it, both names." His eyes were raking over me, but I stood erect and refused to move or shy away.

"Is that why you are here? If so I must say I'm underwhelmed." The subtitle barb was there, and I could tell that he noticed it but didn't care.

"No, I'm more curious how you knew Joo Dee's purpose. Who was your mother and where were you born?" I stared at him in complete confusion. That question had been quite a bit left field.

"What?"

"Well, you are too young to be a Joo Dee who left or even one who somehow managed to escape which leaves your mother." My mouth dropped open in shock. What was he doing?

"You're telling me this why?" I asked, choked. Long Feng smirked.

"Because if I discover that what I have just told you is passed around there will be… dire consequences. If you don't answer me, though, I'll be on my way." He stood and walked to the door before turning back for a tiny moment.

"I can guarantee that I can turn your life into a living hell. Anyone you associate with will find themselves in just as much trouble, and as you already know, I have eyes everywhere."

The door shut. I sunk to the floor, quietly shellshocked. How was I supposed to do anything with the Dai Li breathing down my neck? How was I expected to take steps to change what was going to happen? How was I expected to get in contact with Zuko and Iroh?

The door to the stairs swung open, causing me to shoot to my feet in alarm. Katara, Aang, and Toph all stood there. We were quiet for a long moment before I coughed and spoke.

"How long were you there?"

"Since you opened the door," Toph replied, nonchalant. Katara sent the girl a betrayed look, but the young earth benders remained oblivious.

"We can't just let him threaten you like that." Katara decided. I choked a laugh.

"You can't stop him. Not yet at least. He's the most powerful man in this city with an army that will do whatever he says."

"I thought that was the earth king?" Aang whispered.

"The king takes care of the culture of Ba Sing Se while his 'cultural minister' does everything else." Toph snorted at the irony from my sentence while Katara looked scandalized. Aang though was looking meditative and thoughtful.

"But the king still has the support of the people and his other ministers… Ba Sing Se has a council too right? I can't see that changing in a hundred years." I scrunched my nose in confusion.

"I don't know, wait, I thought you never came here before."

"I didn't but one of the other monks wanted me to learn about political powers around the world," he grimaced, "I had to do a whole unit on Ba Sing Se." I nodded, accepting the answer.

I sighed and turned away towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Katara interjected.

"Outside,"

"Excuse me?" I turned back to Katara, incredulous.

"What?" I asked.

"You're not going anywhere without one of us." I gaped at Katara in horror.

"You're giving me a babysitter? I'm older than all of you, Sokka included."

"And you were just threatened by the most powerful man in Ba Sing Se to use your words." Katara reiterated. I glared but quickly gave it up.

"Fine, Toph, you coming?"

"Why not? There's nothing else to do here anyway."

 

* * *

 

Zuko

It was late afternoon; the lunch crowd had left for the most part. Three patrons were left, and I was washing the unoccupied tables when a familiar voice asked.

"Lee? Is that you?" I spun gasping. Standing at the entrance to the small tea shop was Maddi. She had changed in the months I hadn't seen her. The burn tan had paled, leaving small brown speckles across her face and her hair had lengthened, her bangs were just at the same level as her eyebrows, and her braid fell to the small of her back. To my shock, she smiled brightly then rushed forward and hugged me. I stiffened at the sudden contact. She ignored it and whispered in my ear.

"Play along, and call me Tara." She pecked me on the cheek and pulled away. I was glad that she had moved on to my uncle because my face felt uncomfortably hot.

"Mushi! It's been a long time!" She exclaimed as she hugged him too. She must have whispered something in his ear too because Uncle Iroh laughed and hugged her back.

"Tara! I'm so glad to see you again," 'he grinned sending me a look, “I'm sure Lee is very pleased to see you as well.” Tara' smiled brightly.

"Mushi, Lee, you remember my little sister, Toph, don't you?" Maddi turned to gesture at a small girl standing behind her. I looked at Maddison amazed; there was no way she would pass for Toph's sister. Toph was pale and short with thick black hair while Maddi was tall, tanned with thin brown hair. The two girls couldn't be more different if they tried.

"Of course I do." My uncle laughed, but his eyes were sharp. Maddi turned to the shop's manager and smiled innocently.

"Please sir, can you spare my cousin and uncle for a little while?" I find myself glad that our manager wasn't someone who paid much attention to details. He nodded and waved us off to the back room.

Once in the storage room, Maddi shut the door and then the window's shutters. Only faint trickling light illuminated the dark shelves.

"To what do we owe this visit?" Uncle asked, "not that I mind but I am curious why you sought us o here and how you knew our aliases." I blinked in shock I hadn't noticed that Maddi had known what names we were using here. Lee could be easily explained. It sometimes seemed like half of the earth kingdom, and fire nation used the name Lee, but Mushi had been inspired by my uncle swelling after he had turned a poisonous plant into a tea. He was lucky to be alive.

“You're in danger.”

“We're firenation royalty in the capital of the earth kingdom, of course, we're in danger.”

“In about a week you won't be the only firenation royalty in Ba Sing Se.” Maddi retorted sharply. My mind jumped to the only conclusion that made sense.

“Azula? What is she doing here?”

“What she's always doing, trying to take over the world in the name of her father.” She retorted. She began fiddling with a black cord that hung around her neck. A necklace that dipped below her neckline so I couldn't see what it looked like.

“How do you know this?” My uncle asked softly. He wasn't suspicious or upset, just curious and a little worried. Maddi though, acted as if he had just accused her of something. Her eyes went wide, and her body stiffened.

“I can't tell you just yet, just be careful. Especially about anything that involves the palace. If you get an invitation to the palace get the heck out of there and leave Ba Sing Se.”

“Seriously? You're not going to tell them?” Toph asked, she continued to look straight ahead, and I realized with a jolt that she was blind.

“Toph, not now.”

“If you had your way I don't even think Sokka would know. You kept it a secret for over two months.”

“Toph, not now.” Maddi's words were clipped short; her face was tense, but her hands were shaking.

“What-”

“Toph! Now is not the time! I will tell them later, but right now I don't even feel safe to speak about it while in Ba Sing Se.” We were silent for a while before Maddi sighed.

“You're not the only ones in danger. The five of us are as well, and there was recently a not too subtle threat directed towards me.”

“Why have you been introducing yourself as the girl of all nations? Why do you call yourself that?” I blurted. Maddi blinked and looked up at me in surprise. Her mouth quirked into a small smile.

“Because I am from 'all nations' in a way, I was adopted into the water tribe, Aang has practically done the same, I look earthkingdom, and I support the actual Fire Lord.” I felt heat crawling up my face again, my mind flashing back to when she had said something similar months ago. My uncle looked surprised then his gaze became very piercing.

“If someone is from all four they might as well be from none.” Maddi stiffened again while Toph laughed outright.

“Are you going to say it or am I?”

“Toph!” Maddi cried, scandalized but Toph only laughed. Maddi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Well, are you?” Maddi sighed.

“You're spot on the mark Iroh, I may appear to be from all four nations, but I'm from none.” She closed her mouth then and sent a pointed look at Toph.

“And that's all I'm going to say on that matter. I just want you two to be careful.” She paused, “And do not trust either the Dai Li, any woman who calls herself Joo Dee or the king's 'cultural minister' those people are for our group to deal with.”

“If your life is in danger shouldn't you be leaving?” I asked. Maddi shook her head.

“I can't leave while my friends are here, there are things that need to be done too, things that I have... insight into.” She turned to leave but paused and turned back.

“The offer is still up for both of you; we would love to have you join us. We will never turn down anything you can offer us.” She turned away and walked step by step with Toph, left us alone. Once again leaving me to think about what she had said. Why did she have this effect on me? Why was it that every time I met her no matter what she said something always remained stuck in my head.

“Long live Fire Lord Zuko.”

“I support the true Fire Lord.”

“I may appear to be from all four nations, but I'm from none.”

Who was she? I was beginning to believe only the spirits knew.

* * *

  
Maddi

I slept fitfully; nightlong nightmares plagued me. They ranged anywhere from the usual death of that man at the North Pole to my family to seeing Azula killing Aang. It seemed like it was all I could do manage. Nightmare after nightmare. I had done everything I could, but now it was all up to the choices everyone else made. I just prayed that I had done enough to Change the World and not destroy it.


	38. Tales of the World

The Tale of Nuuttuittuq (Nut)

She had lived millennia, but few mortals had interested Nuuttuittuq as Maddison Fletcher did. She did not understand the need of a second name but Maddison never used it so Nuuttuittuq thought it must not have been very important. She could still remember first seeing the girl, floating dismally in the mist that marked the border of the spirt world. Nuuttuittuq had never gone beyond that particular border, from what she knew nothing existed beyond that border. Here was proof of otherwise. A human girl, half-dead, almost entirely naked just floating in the mists that bordered the spirit world and the endless abyss.

Nuuttuittuq had never cared particularly for humans. She had often been accused of being a human sympathizer by the spirits who hated humans. Her reply was that it was hardly her fault that humans had chosen her star for navigation purposes or that they thanked her whenever they got home (although it caused her great pleasure, not that she would tell the other major spirits that). The role of spirits was beyond that of comprehension of humans, just as their minds were far too… simplistic to be of much interest. But a girl floating on the edge of the abyss was just too much to deny her curiosity. So Nuuttuittuq took the girl from that place and to where she was safer.

After Nuuttuittuq 'accidentally' checked the girl's mind, she had been fascinated to discover a language that she had never heard before. She wasn't sure where the girl had come from, but she knew that the struggle to learn a totally new language would be hard and with the war… Nuuttuittuq knew that to mess with a mortal's mind was immoral but she was helping this mortal. And she was fascinated by her.

After doing what she could to ensure Maddison's survival Nuuttuittuq proceeded to watch over the girl, her interactions with the various major spirits and minor alike. She came to appreciate her and found herself feeling something akin to admiration for all she had overcome. The nickname bestowed upon her by the girl didn't bother her as much as she had thought it would. She was ashamed to admit that she cared about the welfare of this strange mortal. But she couldn't stop herself from watching, guiding, comforting and even cheering the small girl on as she faced obstacle after obstacle in her way with aplomb.

She had been watching Maddison's time in Ba Sing Se closely, well aware of the danger the girl faced. But she couldn't help but smile as she watched the girl… no, the woman gets pulled along by her friends to the spa.

"I'm not sure that…"

"Hey if I gotta go so are you!" The blind earthbender, Toph proclaimed. Maddi sighed, her head bending in submission but the smile teasing her cheeks said otherwise.

"Besides, it's a girl's day out. Unless you'd rather spend the day with Sokka." Katara was teasing laughingly.

"Can I take that option?" Maddi questioned, but the laughter in her voice could no longer be hidden.

"No!" The other girls chorused causing Maddison to burst out laughing. Nut watched the three of them with warm eyes.

"I see you are enjoying the show?" Nut spun and instantly was on her knees.

"My lady, I did not expect you to be coming." La laughed.

"Rise Nuuttuittuq, or should I call you Nut now?" Nuuttuittuq blushed deeply at her lady's teasing tone.

"Forgive me I have become... fascinated with the humans."

"I am well aware, in particular, Maddison. Many spirits are fascinated with her. I must warn you, though, it would be best if it did not become common knowledge that you were the one to bring her to the world." Nuuttuittuq frowned but nodded.

"Why my lady? Is she in trouble?" La did not reply. Instead, she turned away.

"I thank you for encouraging her to save my daughter and priestess. Some great events are about to unfold." Nuuttuittuq's mind whirled as she deciphered the hidden meaning behind her lady's words and paled as they took form. Looking back at the girls who were enjoying a mud bath and laughing at Toph bending the substance her heart sank. She would have to look beyond Maddison for the time being.

Nuuttuittuq cast her gaze elsewhere in the world, looking for other humans that Maddi had effected on her journey. The first one to come to mind was Jet. The young man was wandering the streets of Ba Sing Se, convinced that he had given up a life of crime fighting to leave peacefully and quietly in the city. At the same time, Smellerbee and Longshot were looking for him, fearful and wondering. Nut smiled at the emotions flying between those two. There was far more than just worry for Jet. Then her eyes wandered further, looking into other areas of the world. That was when she realized just how much change Maddi had caused without realization.

* * *

 

The Tale of Zuko

It was a quiet night at the teashop when I noticed a girl watching me. More specifically a girl who had been in the teashop several times in the last few days. She seemed to be well on her way to becoming a regular. When she caught me looking at her, she quickly averted her eyes to her tea cup. Nervously I began to wipe the counter. Was she a spy? I shook the thought away. No, she was just a girl who was curious, probably about my scar.

"Thank you for the tea." I jumped in surprise, alarmed as she smiled at me. She was pretty, in a plain sort of way and something in her face was familiar.

"L...Lee." I stumbled, unsure about where this was going. I sent a nervous look to Uncle who smiled brightly and gave me an obvious wink. She smiled, introduced herself and then asked if I'd 'like to go out sometime.'

"He'd love to." I was beginning to wonder if I was even part of this conversation. Especially when without consulting me the date was set for tonight. Not that I was complaining, Jin seemed like a nice girl but... I wasn't sure that I wanted a relationship. I still had a lot to figure out without a girl getting in my head. I already had too many girls in my head as it was. Azula and Maddi were enough, thank you. There was no way I was going to explain that to my uncle, though, so the date would have to be. After Jin had left, wearing a bright smile I turned to Uncle.

"Why do I have to go on a date?"

"Why not. A date with a pretty girl might help you relax, have a bit of fun. When I was your age I had plenty of girls."

"I hope you mean on dates." I quickly interjected, turning nervous at where the conversation was headed. Uncle just laughed guiltily. Deciding not stay and accidentally get more details then I wanted I bolted to ask a new customer what they would like.

That evening I found myself in a formal outfit with my hair slicked so close to the scalp I felt like I as wearing a wet rag. Grudgingly I slipped outside and looked for Jin. The sooner this date was over, the better. Jin though clearly didn't have the same thoughts. When I walked out, she laughed.

"Aren't you sweet." She laughed, reaching up on her tiptoes to ruffle my hair.

"My uncle took ten minutes to do that," I sighed, slightly annoyed. Jin just laughed and grabbed my hand.

"Come on; there's a nice little restaurant that I'd like you to see." She dragged me through the streets of Ba Sing Se, and I found myself relaxing. Perhaps uncle was right this was nice in a strange way. Then again my only interactions with girls consisted of my sister and her crazy friends, Maddi and Song. Five girls in seventeen years. That was really sad in hindsight. Most boys my age probably had been with more than five.

As I trotted to keep up with her, I found myself completely lost in the winding streets of Ba Sing Se. Jin stopped a few minutes later and pulled me out of the alleyway that we had been running through. In front of us was a restaurant. It was a small, quaint place but clean, pleasant and had a good number of people happily chatting. I did notice though that a good portion of them were couples. Great. Jin let go of my hand and walked across the street to the restaurant. I quickly followed her, realizing it would be rude to leave her alone. The woman at the counter smiled when she saw us.

"Hello, Jin, who's this?"

"Yasmin, this is Lee, Lee this is Yasmin." I nodded to the girl, she like Jin was very pretty and shorter than me. In fact of all the earth kingdom girls, I had met not one of them was as tall as Maddi. Song had been the closest out of them all and even then she was half a head shorter than I.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lee. Jin you have table twelve, you know where it is." I was beginning to think that Jin knew this restaurant a lot better then she had been letting on when she told me about it. Song seemed to realize that too and blushed when she caught my pointed look.

"My sister works here," she explained, "she's not working tonight, though, don't worry." I sighed and nodded, following her to one of the outlaying tables. We sat across from each other and fell into silence.

"So. How do you like the city so far?"

"It's... nice." And utterly corrupt if what Maddi told me is correct I added mentally.

"What do you like to do for fun?" I blinked. What did I like to do for fun?

"I've never had much time for fun," I admitted softly. Jin's face fell.

"Oh. Why?" I shifted uncomfortably.

"I was pretty preoccupied with other things and my uncle and me... we never really stayed in one place long enough to have fun there."

"I'm sorry."

"It's hardly your fault." I pointed out, "You didn't even know me until a few hours ago," I fell silent again as a waiter walked over and handed us our food. Once he walked away, we were silent again until Jin spoke.

"So why were you traveling that much?"

"We were refugees; our home was pretty much destroyed, and we had nowhere to go." I shrugged, "How about you? Have you ever left Ba Sing Se?" Jin shook her head and picked up her fork.

"No, I was born here, my father is a woodworker, and my mom and older sister work in restaurants like this. I'm going to have to get my own job too pretty soon actually."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen." Jin replied, "So I'm officially a woman now. My sister's seventeen she's getting married next week. How about you?'

"I turned seventeen a few weeks ago." She nodded. For a while we focused on our food, just enjoying the atmosphere and the tastes. Uncle was right. This was nice.

After dinner Jin dragged me away again, talking excitedly about a 'firelight fountain' that she wanted me to see. I found myself smiling at her smile. I had not been this happy in a long time.

"Oh no." I looked up. I had been watching Jin's braids as they bounced in time to her running. We were standing in a large courtyard, with a large fountain in the center. All around there were large pole lanterns and candles floating on the water. Not one was lit.

"Normally it's beautiful with the flames reflected in the water-"

"Close your eyes," I told her, stepping forward. She had made me happy, it was time to return the favor.

"Why?"

"Just do it... and don't peek." Jin nodded and covered her eyes with her hands. Once I was sure she wasn't going to disobey my words I took a deep breath and began to fire bend.

It was liberating to be able to fall into the familiar forms that were as necessary as breathing to me. Once I was done, I had to admit. She was right it was beautiful. The golden lights shimmering off the water illuminated the entire area in a soft glow that was reflected in the water turning clear to gold.

"You can look now." Jin's entire face lit up as she turned to me in wonder.

"How did you..." I smiled and put a finger to my lips. To my surprise, Jin bounced up and pushed my hand away then pressed her lips to my own.

After she had pulled away, I discovered that I couldn't stop smiling. I was glad that I had spent time with Jin, she was an amazing girl.

"Thank you." She whispered as she pulled my hand into hers. I just continued to smile, thanking her quietly so no one else would hear it.

Tale of Maddi

I sighed, relaxing under Appa's familiar shade in the backyard. Yesterday Toph and Katara had dragged me along with them to the spa although their reasons for doing so were radically different. Katara wanted all three girls otherwise it wasn't a 'girl's day out, ' and Toph just wanted someone else to be miserable. It had been a lot of fun, especially the mud bath and the steam room. It had helped me relax, but I was still anxious about Long Feng's threats. What would that man be willing to do to get what he wanted?

"You done yet?"

"Are you going to stop babysitting me?"

"No."

"There's your answer." Sokka groaned and rolled back over with a roll of his eyes.

"Can we at least practice?" I nodded and stood. Over the months together Sokka and I had both become very good. Defeating the other had become a battle of endurance and luck. That didn't mean that we went any easier, in fact, we went out of our ways to push the other to new heights. I didn't remember Sokka being this good at fighting from the series, but perhaps competition against someone had pushed him to new heights as it had me.

It was easy to fall into the familiar pattern between us. The battle in some ways more relaxing then the spa had been. It was ironic, I thought as I parried a blow and then countered with a jab to the shoulder which he blocked.

"So am I supposed to read your mind or are you going to tell me what is bothering you?" I swung to the left, dodging his attack and partially blocking it with the bow saddled on my back.

"It's nothing that can be dealt with right now… yunno, the future." I responded swinging m now out and around and notched an arrow. For this exercise, my arrows were covered with a thick cloth wrapped around the sharp head. Sokka too had found a way to dull his boomerang short-term so that we could alternate between long and close distance combat in the same fight. Both would leave a heck of a bruise if they ever landed but both of us were quite effective when it came to dodging by now.

"Well then can you please relax, leave the backyard. Do something? Despite what you think none of us like this anymore than you do." He paused, "Besides the Dai Li would have a heck of a time trying to keep you down."

"They're earth benders, I can only do so much if my feet are stuck to the ground."

"Valid point." I loosed my arrow, and it was dodged easily enough by Sokka who threw his boomerang. After I had ducked away from that metal projectile, I raised my hands.

"Fine, stop. If you're that confined let's get out of here. Go exploring." Sokka's smile lit up the entire backyard.

(Tale of Maddi continued)

I smiled as I wandered through the lower ring. It was a beautiful day. If I didn't have a babysitter, it would be perfect. Sokka though seemed just as content to explore the lower ring and not act like he was guarding me. Katara seemed to have the bad habit of acting like I was a toddler when it was the two of us. I loved Katara, really I did, but she needed to learn how to let me have my freedom and that I could take care of myself just as well as she could. I paused while walking by a basket vendor, noticing the flower in full bloom in semi-shade. The moon flower. I quickly scanned the street but saw no sign of Iroh. Still, I wasn't just going to let it go. Turning to the vendor I spoke.

"Have you seen an old man around here? About this tall, long white beard, big belly?" The man nodded with a smile.

"Is he your grandfather? He was a very nice fellow, quite polite. Went down that way about an hour ago." He pointed down the road, the same way we had been walking.

"Yes, thank you," I replied and grabbed Sokka's arm away from admiring a basket I dragged him up the path. Meeting Iroh would be amazing, I would love to chat with him more. Then I stopped. Today was Lu-Ten's birthday. Did I want to disturb Iroh in his grieving?

"Pala? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I decided, "I just wanted to go look at that flower shop." Sokka sent me a strange look but didn't argue. Instead, he shrugged and wandered in with me. The thick perfume of multiple flowers all in full bloom was heavy in the air as I wandered into the lit shop. It was beautiful. I quickly found myself enchanted in a large yellow glossy flower which reminded me somewhat of a buttercup and lily cross. Noticing my attention to the plant the vendor came over and began to talk it up, praising the glow that it possessed. It was a relative of the moonflower that was prized for the yellow glow it cast when catching the sunlight.

"I'll buy one please," I stated, utterly taken by the plant. Sokka just shook his head but didn't seem as bothered as he was trying to be.

A few minutes later we left with my flower placed in the safety of a separate pot. I loved the glow it cast, just like the vendor had stated. Heading home now that the sun was beginning to sink towards the west I teased Sokka about his interest in bags, sacks, and various carrying tools. He ignored me with a shaking head.

"I'm glad to see that you're enjoying yourself." I shrugged.

"Even I need a little bit of time to be girly, although in all honesty, the spa was a lot more pampering than I had expected." Sokka didn't reply. Frowning I turned to him. He had stopped and was looking around nervously. Frowning I put my potted plant down and looked around. It was quiet. Too quiet. Then a young man strode across the street, freezing when he saw us. For a long moment, not one of us moved from our spot.

"Jet?"

The Tale of Su-Sen

The heat of the sun pressed down upon me, cracking my lips and scorching my back. Quietly I leaned against a tree and hoped for death to come to me. This slow death was no more than I deserved. If I were still in the army, my blood would have been spilled on the ground, and my head would have become separated from my body. This way was better.

I must have blacked out because when I woke something cold and wet was being pressed to my face. I gasped, my tongue instinctively going towards the wetness, wanting to feel like something besides sand cloth.

"Here, drink." The water poured down my throat much to slow for my liking, but I didn't complain. Whoever was saving me, I was thankful for. Perhaps the spirits had decided to allow me to have a life after all. The water was taken away after I had drunk a large portion. Blearily I opened my eyes only to freeze in shock. The familiar weathered face of my father looked down upon me. For a split second, I believed that I had somehow died and was now dreaming on my path to the spirit world, but I was proven wrong when he wrapped his arms around me and began to cry. If there was one thing that always remained true was that my father never cried.

"Sue-Sen, I thought... I thought I had lost you." He swept, clinging to me like life itself.

"Father I don't..."

"We were told that you're battalion was captured by the fire nation. We thought you were dead." Shame ran through me like a hot poker.

"I should be," I replied struggling to get out of his arms.

"Then thank the spirits for preserving your life and let us go home."

"You don't understand!" I shouted, shooting upwards only to lose my balance and fall. My father caught me, unwilling to let me fall.

"I understand perfectly. The spirits preserved the life of my oldest son."

"The spirits did nothing. I ran away." I expected my father to drop me, to turn his back and leave me to die as I deserved. Instead, he looked me straight in the eyes.

"I don't care. Your entire battalion is dead, but you are alive. I don't care if you killed your commander, you're my son, and you're coming home." My father threw my arm around his shoulder and helped me up, pushing me onto Runner, our ostrich horse.

I must have blacked out again because when I woke up, I was in my bed at home. The room smelled musty, old, I hadn't slept here in over a year, so I wasn't that surprised.

"Sue-Sen! Mom, Dad, Su-Sen's awake." I sat up as Lee, my little brother tackled me, beaming excitedly.

"Hey there Lee." I laughed, swinging my legs out of bed, still clutching the young boy. Noticing his smile I grinned.

"Well look at that, you've lost some teeth." Lee grinned excitedly.

"I know I'm almost grown up right? Zuko thought so!"

"...Zuko?" I asked but was ignored as with an excited cry my mother threw herself at me.

"Mother, it's alright, I'm fine," I explained, patting her back awkwardly as she sobbed into my shirt. After a moment she pulled away allowing me to pose my question again.

"Who's Zuko?"

I could feel my jaw go slack as my little brother told me the story of Zuko. The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, banished because he wanted to end the war. He wanted to defeat his father just as much as we did, who gave Lee a knife, rescued my little brother, and had declared the man who some people called the greatest fire lord in history insane. As the story was unveiled, I began to feel a large amount of respect for the man who was willing to do so much for strangers, who didn't even belong to his own nation. I had heard the tale of the Avatar being around, but I had no idea about this prince. A strange feeling came upon me, and I realized what I had to do. To restore my self-worth I would join Zuko's army, create it if I had to, and I would help him take down the fire lord for good.

* * *

 

Tale of Yue

High priestess of the moon Yue sighed as she meditated by the spirit oasis. She was trying to get in contact with La, hoping that the spirit of the moon would provide the answers that Yue wanted. Answers about who was to be the next ruler of the Northern Water Tribe. As she had been her father's only child, there was no other heir and as she was a priestess now she was not allowed to have any attachment to the tribe itself beyond that of a priestess. If Hahn were still alive then he would have automatically become the next chief. However he was dead, which left no one. As priestess, though, it was her duty to choose the heir if such a case as this were to occur. The problem was she could think of no one who would be able to make a good king. Yue had unfortunately had little access to men beyond her father as the princess, and as such had little knowledge of the people in their tribe.

"Yue," She turned opening her eyes. Behind her was a woman in her early twenties. She was beautiful, thick dark hair that fell her back like a waterfall and a blue and silver dress. Her eyes though were entirely white and glowed eerily.

"Who are you?" Yue gasped, standing and stumbling away in shock. The stranger raised a single hand in a sign of peace.

"Be calm, I am Nuuttuittuq, first lady to La. I believe that I have some information that will aid you greatly."

* * *

 

The Result of Rumours

Deep in the heart of the fire nation was a man who sat behind a brazier of fire. He had heard many things from his spies around the earth kingdom, but this was the final straw. His enemies were massing, creating a force that unless it were squashed he would be unable to fight. It was evident now that the Avatar was a much greater threat than he had first appeared, as were his companions. Unless something was done, these rumors would grow and with them a rebellion that could threaten his empire.   
Fire Lord Ozai stood. First, it had been a simple annoyance but time and time again this avatar had not only avoided all efforts of capture he was rallying the people along with this girl... Maddison he had heard was her name. A strange name for an earth kingdom girl but there were rumors that she was not just earth kingdom, that she was a fire nation colonial or that she had even been born fire nation and had changed sides. Either way, that name should be easy to find unless she had created it herself.

It was his son he was far more worried about. There were faint whispers of a rebellion forming in Zuko's name. That there were people cheering for his son, proclaiming him the true fire lord. These whispers were even running amok in his lands. No longer. The avatar and his friends would be put back into line, and he would make sure that his brother and son would never have a chance to defeat him. He wanted them gone and defeated. Not killed, that would make martyrs of them. No, better to lock them away where they would never see the light. If they happened to waste away in jail, no one would be the wiser. It was time for the fire lord to take action and take back his empire.


	39. Jet Returned/The Puppet King

"Jet?" The leader of the freedom fighters stared at us in shock. For a while, no one moved. Suddenly Jet lurched away and began to run. I didn't think, taking chase, everything else forgotten.

"Pala! Wait!" Sokka shouted chasing after me as I pelted after the brainwashed boy. Somehow I managed to chase him into a dead end. Spinning Jet put up his hands, alarmed.

"I don't mean any harm! I just want to live in peace!"

"Then why did you run?" I asked sharply as I continued to approach him.

"Pala, leave him-"

"Not now Sokka." I snapped before turning back to Jet. He stared at me in shock, wide-eyed.

"Jet," I said calmly, "Tell me about how you've been living here, where are the others? We won't hurt you we just want to know." He glanced between Sokka and me before relaxing slightly.

"I've been living here peacefully. I left everyone else behind. I just want to live quietly."

"Then we won't do anything. We just want to ask you some questions." Jet's eyes narrowed, he was uncertain now. The thought of Jet mistrusting me was an ironic twist, but it was the fault of the Dai Li. Still, I wasn't just going to sit back quietly. I knew what was going to happen to Jet and I was going to stop it.

"Come with us then, I'm sure Katara would be glad to see you." That was clearly the wrong choice. Both boys stared at me like I was insane. Quickly I explained.

"If you've given up on attacking innocents she might forgive you," I explained, "don't you want that?"

Somehow I managed to convince Jet to come with us. It took a lot more wheedling and a few quick jabs in Sokka's side to convince both to come home without attacking each other although I was more worried about what was about to happen, and Katara's reaction.

I wasn't off about Katara's reaction. The young waterbender was waiting outside when we arrived, and one look at Jet told us everything we needed to know. Katara was nowhere close to forgiving him. From the looks of it, Ozai was closer to calling off the war to learn dressmaking then she was of forgiving Jet.

"What is he doing here?" She snarled, storming up to Sokka and I. The two of us shared a look.

"Katara-"

"Don't Katara me! For the spirits' sake, you're the oldest of all of us! I-"

"Katara he needs our help, or he's going to die!" I hissed. Two sets of blue eyes sent me identical alarmed looks.

"What!"

"Long story short he was brainwashed by the Dai Li. I can prove it, but I need Smellerbee and Longshot here too. They're in the lower ring." There was silence for a moment.

"You do realize that the lower ring is still huge! We could be searching for days!"

"I don't know how long we have," I admitted, trying to stay calm despite the worry and fear I felt in my companions, "but we've got to make our move before Azula."

"I thought we were done with the secrets." A flush crept over my face.

"It kind of... slipped my mind." Sokka made a noise of disgust and threw up his hands. Katara just shook her head.

"Um, excuse me, what is going on?" I turned back to Jet, flanked by the water tribe siblings.

"Um... you don't happen to know where Smellerbee and Longshot are... do you?" Jet sent me a disgusted look then sent Katara a very nervous one. My eyes flicked between Jet's pleading look at Katara and in shock I realized that he had some feeling for her. The look reminded me of the looks that I would often see a boy send to a girl. It both fascinated and sickened me. I was never going to be a friend of Jet, I was never going to even like him, but I could use this attraction to save not only his life but the life of others. I could manipulate him if it meant saving his life. There would be no guilt. Okay, maybe a little. I walked towards him and stepped on a stone, turning my ankle and plunging towards him. Jet moved to catch me but missed. Instead, I plowed into him, knocking him to the ground. Jet yelped in pain, and I cried out in shock. Springing up I began to babble apologies. There was a long scrape across my left arm, and Jet had blood pouring from just above his temple.

"You're bleeding, Katara's a healer here, come inside, we'll get you cleaned up." The glare Katara sent me was strong enough to curdle milk, but I ignored it in favor of blocking Jet's view of it, guiding him inside the house.

"Maddi- What is he dong here!?" Aang demanded hands up in a defensive position. I sent him a wide-eyed glance and shook my head slightly. His nose wrinkled, but he relaxed. Toph meanwhile cocked her head.

"So who's this?" I turned to the short earthbender and quickly introduced the two.

"Toph this is Jet, Jet this is Toph, Aang's earthbending teacher." Jet grimaced and waved. I twitched.

"Sorry Toph, Jet's mute-"

"I am not mute!" I grinned at Jet. I may be trying to save his life, but he still owed me for breaking Katara's heart.

"Well look at that, do we finally have the real Jet back or are you going to hide behind wishy-washy again?" Now it was Jet sending me a glare. I couldn't bring myself to care, though, this was a little payback. Turning I noticed Katara and Sokka had followed us in. Katara was filling a bowl with water, pointedly ignoring both Jet and I but a smile played on her lips. That smile was well worth acting half my age, it was a smile I hadn't seen a lot of.

"Jet come over here please." Jet approached Katara, his body language screaming that he was uncomfortable. He sat down but twitched nervously whenever one of us moved. This was probably confusing his addled brain, and I wondered how much the Dai Li had affected. Katara pulled out a good portion of water, allowing it to float by his ear as the cut slowly vanished. Suddenly Katara's face furrowed and the water crept farther, covering nearly the entire side of his head. Jet twitched and gasped in pain, suddenly leaping out of his chair.

"What are you doing to me!" He screamed, hands clawing at his temples. Alarm flooded through me, and I barked out the first words that came to my mind.

"Jet the earth king has invited you to Lake Laogai." Jet suddenly straightened, his panic falling away as his eyes turned black.

"I am honored to accept his invitation," I froze, disgust welling up inside of me as I stared at Jet's blank face.

"What by Tui and La was that!" I jumped in shock. I had never heard Sokka curse before, invoking the name of the spirits was the equivalent of any bad cuss in our world, and Sokka was clearly both terrified and furious. Slowly the entire story spilled from my lips, explaining everything, the brainwashing, the Dai Li, even Long Feng and the Earth King. When I was done everyone was quiet for some time.

"That's sick." Katara was the first to speak. Disgust filled her eyes.

"I may not care for Jet, but that doesn't give anyone the right to treat him this way." She turned back to the young man and explained.

"When I was healing his cut I felt... something like a chakra block in his head... I tried to touch it but... well you saw what happened. So that block is the result of brainwashing?" I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Yes, although I'm surprised it worked, I guess that I thought Long Feng would be sophisticated enough to have trained the brainwashed people only to respond to his voice," I explained, watching Jet's still form. He was barely even breathing.

"I'm going to release him. Be prepared to have him attack again." I explained, striding forward.

"Wait. Maddi, shouldn't Katara see if she can heal him now?" I paused looking at Toph in appreciation. She had a valid point.

"Sure." Katara moved forward and began to run her water-covered hands over Jet's head, brow furrowed in concentration.

"I don't like this," Aang muttered, moving to stand by me, eyes focused on Katara's skillful hands.

"None of us do, but we can't leave him like this, even if he did try to kill us."

"You're going to have to fill me in on that story," Toph told Sokka who nodded in acknowledgment. We stayed silent, watching Katara work. Finally, she pulled away.

"You're going to have to release him from this state Maddi, whatever it is I can't do anything with him like this." I nodded and stepped forward, the wood creaking under my feet. I could feel my companions fall into bending stances, prepared to protect themselves and me if Jet proved to be a threat after I released him.

"Jet, the Earth King thanks you for your company." I guessed because I had no idea how to break the hold. Silently I prayed that my words were close enough and I hadn't permanently damaged him. Why had I used those words? What gave me the right? Manipulating people like Jet was going to make me like Long Feng if I allowed myself to continue. Luckily either that was the release, or it was close enough that Jet came out of it. With a groan, he collapsed onto the floor. In an instant Katara was there, reaching down and working on his head again. It felt like we stood there for hours, no, weeks before she moved, pulling away and helping Jet up.

"What... what happened?" He frowned then his eyes widened when they set themselves on Katara.

"Katara? What are you doing here? Where..."

"What was the last thing you remember Jet?" Katara asked insistently, blue eyes not leaving Jet's brown ones. Jet frowned.

"The Dai Li... they... they shoved me into this jail carriage and..." he winced, "I don't know, everything becomes fuzzy after that. What are you doing here?"

We explained the whole thing to Jet. With our help, he was able to remember Lake Laogai and what the Dai Li did to him, but it was fuzzy and unfocused. He openly admitted to missing huge chunks of his memory including everything after his brainwashing. Then he insisted on going to find Longshot and Smellerbee.

"I think that's a good idea, but all three of you need to get out of Ba Sing Se. If you stay... something really bad could happen. I recommend always traveling with at least one other person too." To my surprise, Jet shook his head.

"I'm not leaving, not yet. I'm going to tell the Earth King." I sighed.

"Jet you-"

"Jet's right." Katara agreed, "The Earth King needs to know about all of this and because of our advantage Long Feng doesn't know that we know. Besides the more people to help us the better." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. That was extremely mature of Katara, but the fact remained that Jet was a potential threat.

"And what if Jet's brain isn't as clear as you think?" I challenged, "He could turn on us without a moment's warning. It would be better if he just stayed far, far away from Long Feng."

"How about this. Two of us go with Jet to pick up Longshot and Smellerbee. After that, we return to the rest of the group. If something of Long Feng's influence is still there, then Maddi can always stop him, if not we would far outnumber him." I sighed. I wasn't happy with Sokka's choice, but it made sense. As much as I hated to admit it.

"So who is going to pick up the other two then?"

"Maddi and Katara." Both of us looked at Sokka like he was crazy.

"You're not serious?" I asked. Leaving Jet with just me and Katara was a good way to end up with a dead Jet.

"It makes sense if you think about it." Sokka explained, "Pala if she was normal would be desperately looking for a husband and Katara's at the right age to start perusing her own. The Dai Li don't know that we know Jet. It's perfect." Sokka stopped when he saw my expression. If this had been my old wold, I would have been howling sexist to the four corners of the globe. As it was, I had to remember that Sokka had improved quite a lot and that I would be facing that kind of attitude for the rest of my life.

Once again the image of a little girl with a red ribbon flashed across my eyes. My daughter. Somewhere out there was a man who I would have a child with. I wouldn't be alone forever, I would have a husband. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and let the moment pass.

"Sure, I'm in. But I'm not flirting."

"Why do I have to?"

"You don't either. Leave it all to Jet." Jet's expression became very tight as it flickered between Katara and I, but he nodded. Clearly deciding that complaining would not be a good idea. Besides, I thought with a smug grin, I bet that he isn't to upset about flirting with Katara. To bad, he doesn't know that she's taken.

Katara muttered something under her breath, and she grabbed Jet's hand, storming out the door with me in tow. This was going to be a long day.

The reaction in riding Appa to the palace was similar to that of a kicked over ant hill. Soldiers and Dai Li were everywhere, running around, weapons in hands and rocks shooting at us. Appa's saddle was feeling a great deal more squished than it had earlier as we had three extra members. Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot had all insisted upon coming with us, and I had a sneaking suspicion that Smellerbee was planning on murdering Long Feng, not something that I disliked the idea of. The problem was that Long Feng helped keep the Dai Li from going over to Azula right away. It was the time that we would probably need in the end so I couldn't fully support it either. It was strange, it was almost as if we were a greater threat when they didn't know we knew his secret.

"Look out." Appa dodged to the side as a huge column of earth shot towards us. I caught Longshot notching an arrow and grabbed his shoulder.

"Avoid killing," I called, "Most of these soldiers are innocent." He sent me a sharp glare but nodded. I silently cussed that I didn't understand him better. Unfortunately, his silence always alluded me. I notched my own arrow silently counting them. Fifty in total. Not a lot, I would have to save my shots. Longshot's quiver was a lot larger then mine, and it carried at least twice a number of arrows.

"Sokka do you have a plan?" I shouted as Appa dodged another large chunk of rock.

"Of course I do! I always have a plan! I'm the plan guy!"

"... you don't have one. Do you?" I sniggered at Toph's disgusted tone.

"That's fine. I do. If push comes to shove just follow my lead... and pray for a ton of luck."

"That's assuring," Smellerbee muttered. I sent her a pointed look but refused to say anything beyond that.

The battle seemed to pass in a whirlwind. The benders did most of the world while Jet, Sokka, Longshot, and I picked off the occasional soldier who slipped through the well-oiled machine that was my companions. I didn't understand why Jet had been so determined to come. What was the purpose? Revenge? If so would I have to protect Long Feng? That thought curdled my stomach.

Appa landed, dodging another huge pile of stone as Aang and Toph blocked it with their bending. Sliding off the eight of us spread into the formation. Toph was in the lead with Aang right behind while the rest of us circled Appa, protecting the huge bison from manual attacks. I took the rear, watching everyone's backs with a sharp arrow.

I was suddenly under a huge stone cave. Toph's work. A large smash came from above causing me to grin. She had just saved us from getting squashed with stone statues. Once the 'cave' was gone we continued down the path, fighting in a rhythm all our own. It seemed like both seconds and hours later that we were battling inside the palace.

"Which way to the Earth King?" Sokka shouted.

"There's a pair of shiny green and gold doors larger then Appa. Through there," I hollered back, swinging out one of my fans to toss away a smaller chunk of rock flying towards me.

"You literally can't miss it!"

Ironically it was Jet who found the doors and shouted for us. I was pumped up on adrenalin, my body vibrating with excess energy as Aang threw the doors apart. The earth king was waiting for us on his dais along with a large amount of Dai Li and of course, Long Feng. All of us raised our perspective weapons. Toph a rock, Aang his staff, Katara a jet of water, Sokka his club, Longshot and I with our bows, Jet with his hooks and Smellerbee... two long wicked looking daggers. When had she gotten those, I found myself wondering nervously. Those daggers did not look friendly, even compared to Jet's weapons.

King Kuei was a young man in his late teens to early twenties, no more than five years older than me. Dressed in rick yellow robes and a green cape. A set of rich decorated jade beads hung around his neck, and his crown was more of a hat with the earth kingdom emblem in the center. He also wore a pair of spectacles on the bridge of his nose which gave him an air of superiority. His bear sat beside him, dressed in a gold shirt with a green hat. Seeing Basco made me smile, a real bear like the ones back home.

"We need to talk to you," Aang called. Long Feng turned and said something to King Kuei.

"They are here to overthrow you." Long Feng stated, his eyes focused on his 'king'. Puppet more like.

"No, we're here to warn you... about him." Jet hissed, eyes never leaving Long Feng who just smiled tartly at the boy. King Kuei was not impressed.

"You invade my palace, destroy my property and break my door? And you expect me to trust you?"

"He has a good point," Toph muttered but was shushed by Katara.

"If you are on my side put down your weapons."

"And then your guards will arrest us," I stated stepping forward. "Give us a chance to explain ourselves. Show us that you are as great a king as they say by keeping your word." Long Feng's eyes became predatory. I could almost see him trying to figure out my motives.

"I will allow you to explain yourself and I will listen, if you put down your weapons." I nodded and placed my bow, quiver and fans on the ground. My companions dropped there weapons next, but it was a few more seconds before the freedom fighters did so. Judging from the looks in their eyes they were not excited about the aspect either. Long Feng twitched his hand, and the Dai Li fell into line behind us, but they did not attack. We all shared a look. Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves I stepped forward.

"My liege, my name is Maddison, although I am known as the girl of all nations, spirit walker and amongst the water tribes, Palartok. These are my traveling companions, Aang the Avatar, Toph Be-Fong, Katara and Sokka children of Chief Hakoda, Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot of the freedom fighters a group dedicated to protecting small villages and towns from external threats." I could see the surprise in the eyes of my friends and the freedom fighters for the way I painted them. By emphasizing their role I was placing them as more than mere peasants but as nobles and heroes.

"We came here to gain your assistance to create an army. You see there is a war, a war from which Long Feng has been hiding from you and many of the nobles here in Ba Sing Se. This is a power play so that he has full control of Ba Sing Se, to him my liege you are little more than a figurehead." Sokka's face looked stricken at my bluntness while Long Feng was silently promising me a painful death and to extract every single threat he made to me those weeks ago. King Kuei too looked very disturbed and mistrusted of my words.

"Upon arriving, we began to discover this plot from Long Feng. He might as well be the real earth king. He tells you he is your advisor yet in public he goes by your 'cultural minister' and yet it is you who take care of all the cultural work while he deals with everything else. He has hundreds if not thousands of women here in Ba Sing Se all responding to the name Doo Jee who have been brainwashed and work as spies for him as well as a means to control the city through fear and manipulation." Kuei sent a strange look at Long Feng who suddenly looked more than a little constipated.

"These people are trying to trick you, turn you against me with their fancy words and complicated accusations to manipulate your mind. This girl is nothing special." Long Feng snarled, trying desperately to gain control of the situation.

"Then I'll prove it. If I'm correct sire you looked surprised when you heard the name Joo Dee, did you just meet a woman named that? If so will you kindly send for her? I can prove without a doubt that she has been brainwashed.: Kuei nodded and waved his hand. One soldier left the room. Turning back I began to speak again, noticing out of the corner of my eye the astonished look in the eyes of the freedom fighters. I felt a smile quirk my lips.

"Sire, when did you take the throne? You were very young, right? Ten years old?"

"Four," Kuei stated confused. I blinked. I had not been expecting him to have been that young.

"I see, and Long Feng has been your advisor this entire time?" Kuei nodded, not understanding where I was going with this.

"He controlled Ba Sing Se until you were old enough to correct? Well whose to say that he didn't decide that he liked the power and kept it? Who is to say he has not been manipulating you from the very start?" There was silence for a long moment. Long Feng's constipated look was gone, and now he looked red in the face like he was about to explode. There was a grunt from behind me and a giggle. Turning I saw Basco the bear lick Aang on the cheek and promptly pin him to the ground. Aang didn't seem upset by the bear mauling him, so I turned back to the king in time to see a guard escorting Joo Dee, our Joo Dee into the room. My eyes narrowed. I was going to have fun with this.

"Hello, Joo Dee." She made a squeaky noise like a dog toy that had been stepped on and shot a panicked look at Long Feng.

"Can you tell me about the other Joo Dee's." She looked confused but shook her head, and the annoying smile was back on her face.

"I'm Joo Dee."

"What about the others?"

"There are no others. I'm Joo Dee." I twitched. Glancing up at King Kuei, I realized I had lost his interest. I needed his attention again and fast.

"Sire, please pay attention. Joo Dee, the earth king has invited you to Lake Laogai."

"I am honored to accept his invitation." Now I had his attention. I had everyone's attention. Especially Long Feng's he looked ready to kneel over. Payback for threatening me I thought with a grin.

"Your highness, this is a hypnotic trance that-" I was cut off by a sudden stab of pain in the back of my neck. And everything dissolved into darkness.

* * *

 

Sokka's POV

It was to late to do anything.

Maddi had just knocked Joo Dee into that strange trance that we had seen in Jet. It was terrifying, especially some of the things she had revealed. One moment she had been standing in front of us, face beaming with pride for her skill at debate and the next she lay crumpled on the ground with a Dai Li agent standing above her.

Instinct forced me to act the only way I knew how. In seconds the Dai Li agent was down for the count, pinned by earth, ice and with a sharp boomerang pointed at his neck. Katara was working frantically on Maddi before pulling away with a sigh.

"She's unconscious but stable." She stated, eyes flicking nervously back and forth between the pinned Dai Li agent, our shocked faces, King Kuei's shocked face, and Long Feng's overly smug one. I felt sick. The bastard had planned that. He knew that Maddi was eloquent and that she would be able to sway the king over to our side in minutes. She wouldn't want us to give up, though. While Katara worked on healing her, I stepped forward. It was my turn, and this time everyone was ready to be stabbed in the back.

"See! Long Feng realized that Maddi was too great of a threat, so he got her out of the way! Let us show you, your highness just how much Long Feng has been keeping hidden from you. Let us bring you to Lake Laogai." King Kuei's eyes flicked to Long Feng, but it was clear that he was not happy with the sudden turn of events. He nodded once, and that was all that I needed.


	40. Destiny

Sokka

Katara stayed home, watching Maddi while the rest of us went with the king to Lake Laogai. I couldn't keep my mind off her. Maddi was like my sister, my best friend and now she was hurt again. She hadn't done anything dangerous; she should not have been in danger she was just talking. But Maddi's eloquence was as dangerous as my weapons. She won her best battles through her words. Not that she wasn't a good fighter, but she didn't have the spirit of a warrior, she fought because she had to protect her family.

"So… this is a train." King Kuei stated looking around. None of us answered, even Toph was looking upset. Maddi was the peacemaker in our group, and she always did her best to help each one of us however she could.

Long Feng hadn't stood a chance. The Dai Li agent was arrested, but it had still caused damage to the king's faith in the man. He was more open and willing to listen. It was an advantage if only the price hadn't been so high.

Katara had assured us that Maddi was fine, damage to a chakra at the base of the neck but a little healing had fixed it. She was still going to be unconscious for a while; it had been a hard blow. It still frustrated me. One of us should have realized that Long Feng would bend so low as to injure a woman with no weapon.

The train began to slow down and finally pulled to a stop. Jet grumbled something under his breath. While I had attacked the Dai Li agent, who had attacked Maddi he had attempted to assassinate Long Feng. Luckily, the other Dai Li stopped him.

The second Toph's feet hit rock she shot forward with a cry of alarm. With how my day had been going I assumed the worst and took off after her. I stopped thunderstruck as we created the ridge. Two Dai Li agents were running across the beach.

"Stop them!" We threw ourselves into action, but the second we did the Dai Li spun and took off, away from us. Frowning I turned back to the king who had a frustrated look on his face.

"The entrance is this way." Toph called pointing in the direction the Dai Li had been running towards.

"I bet they were planning on destroying the evidence." Smellerbee narrowed her eyes at the king as if accusing him of the Dai Li's actions. Toph shrugged and struck her foot against the sand. A large rock pier appeared.

The Lake Laogai compound was dark, cold, wet and illuminated with eery green crystals that cast more shadow than light. It was also abandoned.

"There's no one... here." A strange expression crossed Toph's face, and she pointed towards one of the stone doors. My eyes met Aang's, and then Jet's as the three of us slowly approached. I threw the door open weapon at the ready only to be met by a flutter of activity and a panicked scream. Two women, both a few years older then Maddi stood there trembling in the darkness, clutching each other tightly. One was crying. We quickly lowered our weapons. I raised both hands in a sign of peace.

"It's okay; you're safe. My name's Sokka, and you are...?" The one who wasn't crying stepped into the light slightly revealing herself to be an earth kingdom woman who fell almost perfectly into the majority.

"I'm Jade; this is Anju. We... we." And suddenly Jade was crying as well. I shifted, unsure. I didn't know how to comfort these women, so I let them cry themselves out. Once both had become calm Jet, Longshot, Aang and I helped the women out, guiding them back up to the surface of the lake.

"Why were you in there?" King Kuei asked with a deep frown.

"Minister Long Feng offered me a job. I was living on the streets and my job..." Anju didn't need to explain further. Her clothes stated her occupation better than any words.

"I was begging on the streets to feed my daughter. She's living with my mother right now. My husband died to allow the two of us to escape to Ba Sing Se."

"I'm sorry, why were you here though? What were they planning?"

"I don't know," Anju whispered, "But there were other women like us... now there is only us." Silence.

"Does the name Joo Dee mean anything to you?" The reaction was immediate. Anju hit the ground and began rocking, singing a lullaby, eyes wide and black. Jade flinched, wretched and began to shake as her body was betraying her. We rushed over, eyes wide in worry for the two woman. Slowly they came back to the way they were.

"They kept bringing us into that room, with all the other women, they kept telling us our names were Joo Dee, it was all they said, I... I can't get their voices out of my head." King Kuei stepped forward. Everyone fell silent at his presence.

"I'm am sorry for what happened to you. I promise Long Feng will pay for his crimes. I will make sure of it."

"I can't believe Long Feng was keeping documents about us." Katara muttered looking at awe at the report of our father's whereabouts, "And I can't imagine how those women must feel."

"Well, King Kuei has his guards looking for all the Joo Dees he's hoping since you were able to heal Jet that you can help them." Katara nodded at Aang's words, still looking troubled. Toph was deep in thought about the paper that Katara had read to her, that her mother was in Ba Sing Se. Aang was excited to master the avatar state.

"How's Pala doing?" I asked nervously. Katara sighed.

"I healed the chakra completely, but she'll probably be unconscious for a few days yet, the body usually needs time to recuperate naturally from such a blow." She sighed, "I'm going to have to stay here to watch over her, the rest of us need to split up. Sokka you should go to dad, Aang needs to go to that Guru and Toph, well it's her choice if she wants to see her mother or not."

"How did that guru find you Aang?" I heard myself asking. Aang shrugged.

"In the letter, he said something about being contacted by a spirit."

"You know, is it just me or are the spirits becoming a lot more active than usual?"

* * *

 

Maddi

I woke up with a groan of pain, twitching I tried to pull myself up only to find a heavyweight at the back of my neck. Moaning, I tried to get the attention of someone, and finally, I managed to struggle into a sitting position.

"Hello?" My voice was hoarse, rough and painful to use but I called again anyway.

"Oh, Miss, I'm sorry if I disturbed you." A woman who was close to my age walked in, a bowl of water in her hands.

"My name is Mara. Your friend Katara hired me to keep watch over you while she was gone. I'm glad to see you are awake you really had your friends worried."

"Thanks," I muttered, hands touching the hard cast around my neck "what happened?"

"One of the Dai Li attacked you, apparently against orders. Its alright though, Long Feng is in jail, there is nothing to worry about anymore."

"Thanks…" my voice trailed off as I looked at Mara. Something about her was unnervingly familiar, but I couldn't place it. Then she smiled, and my heart jumped. With a wail, I threw myself out of bed and out of the room. I was still in my house, but I wasn't about to let that calm me down. I skittered my way out of the house and down the street, thanking the heavens that I was dressed. How much time had passed since I had been knocked out? I didn't know, and that was almost as unnerving as the woman's smile.

I didn't realize where I was going until I stopped. I was heading deeper into the upper ring, the businesses area. Sighing I waved a man over.

"Excuse me, sir, can you direct me to the Jasmine Dragon? I'm afraid I'm a little lost." The man pointed me in the direction that I assumed was correct then turned away. I darted away in that direction. In this part of town, the signs had words on them unlike in the lower ring which only used pictures as the number of literate people was significantly higher. My eyes flicked to a sign proclaiming the grand opening of 'The Jasmine Dragon.' The poster was a few days old but still useful in pointing me in the correct direction for the rest of the way there.

The Jasmine Dragon was a work of art. A lot of time and effort had clearly gone into its creation. Two beautiful green dragons danced around the delegate lettering spelling out the name of the tea shop. Inside Zuko bustled about, a small smile on his face. He didn't seem as content as he had in the original timeline, but he looked satisfied with his uncle's happiness.

"Lee!" I called, catching his attention. He looked at me, and his small smile grew bigger. He waved, and I slipped into the tea shop. I stopped in front of one of the women manning the door.

"Has a dark skinned, blue eyed girl come by?" She shook her head.

"If she does tell her that Palartok is here and wants to talk." The lady nodded, and I continued in. Zuko's smile faltered when he got a closer look at me, and he placed the tea tray down. I realized I was shaking. Joo Dee. I didn't care what that girl said her name was, that was a Joo Dee smile, and it had terrified me. Now with my knowledge that I had been unconscious for about a week I was even more worried. Where was I in the timeline? Obviously before the coup but by how much? A day? An hour?

"What happened to your neck? Are you okay?" Zuko exclaimed in surprise his eyes flicking to the heavy poultice that I had forgotten. No wonder the man who gave me directions had such a strange look on his face. I reached around behind my neck and slowly peeled the cast off. It wasn't a plaster cast like they had back home, it was more of a stiff cloth used to support the neck... with wood inlay.

"I'll explain later," I stated, still holding the stiff cloth, "but you and your uncle need to get out of here. Azula is planning a coup and its happening soon." Zuko went pale at the thought, but his eyes slipped to look at his uncle.

"I... I can't. This is everything my uncle wanted, he's happy. I can't ask him to leave."

"If you don't then Azula will kill him. Zuko I promise when the war is over Iroh will get his teashop back... if he doesn't, I'll pull a few strings. The earth king totally owes me one." I lifted up the cast as proof of my words. Zuko shook his head and picked up the tea tray.

"I... Give me a few hours. Okay?" I nodded and stepped back, allowing Zuko to go back to work while I moved to sit on the steps leading up to the teashop.

I sat there for a while, deep in thought. How long had it been? Where was everybody now? Would I be able to get in contact with them if things went south faster than expected? I didn't know, and the fact that I had a Joo Dee watching over me was enough to make me worry. I didn't care what that woman called herself. One smile was all I needed to know that she was a Joo Dee.

"Pala?" I looked up. Katara was standing in front of me, Momo perched on her shoulder, a scroll in hand. I smiled, but the smile quickly froze on my face. That scroll meant that that tomorrow was the day of the coup.

"Katara did you leave me with a nurse?" Why was that the first thing I said? There were other more important things to be talking about right now.

"No... why?" Slowly the entire story came out. I explained waking up to the Joo Dee who called herself Mara, coming here and in a quieter voice what was about to happen. Katara was pale by the time I was finished.

"What happened to you guys?" I finished. Katara sighed. Momo hopped into my lap, and I began to pet him. The lemur happily shoved his face into my side, begging for more attention.

"Well I stayed here to work out a plan with the council of five for the day of black sun, Toph went to meet her mother who is in the city. Aang found himself a guru for the avatar state and Sokka is with dad. Jet and the Freedom Fighters decided to leave the city." I nodded. Behind me, Zuko's voice rang out for the next order of tea causing me to jump and send a worried look at Katara. She didn't even blink. Surprised I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I've been coming here since the grand opening." She explained, "Jet wanted to apologize for the way he treated us." I stared at Katara in shock.

"You went on a date... with Jet?" Her eyes widened, and she quickly denied it.

"No, he was just apologizing. Besides, I don't like Jet like that... not anymore and I made that clear." I shook my head with a smile but didn't question who made her face light up after she sentence was finished. She was thinking about Aang, I recognized that face.

"Maddi... what happened in the tale of us... you know in your world?" I blinked then smiled.

"You and Aang or you and Jet." Katara's face turned several shades darker, and she sent me a scathing look, causing me to laugh.

"You and Jet don't work out but you probably already knew that. He... he ends up dying trying to disobey direct orders when under a trance. You and Aang... that's up to you to decide." Katara nodded but then stood.

"We need to do something about Azula. Stop her and rescue Kuei. The others aren't due back for another few days, so we're on our own."

"Then let's go talk to Zuko and Iroh, we'll need every bit of help we can get." I insisted.

* * *

 

I could see. The metal encasing me, surrounding me had been black until now. Now I could see. The cold no longer bit into my feet. It kept me awake. It kept me aware. The metal was responding. I could feel the earth inside it, feel it respond to my movements. Grinning, I placed my hands against the cold metal and pushed.

* * *

 

The final chakra. The thought chakra. Cosmic energy. But to access it I had to let go of my friends, but more importantly, I had to let go of Katara. I couldn't.

"Why would I let go of her? I love her." But I had to learn this. My friends would want it. Katara would want it. I grit my teeth.

"Aang, letting go is not forever, it will not make your love any less. Learn this young Avatar." I jumped. A woman stood on the far edge of the rock. She smiled, nodded at me and vanished. A spirit. She was right. I sighed.

"Fine."

* * *

 

I laughed. All these men, the fathers of the ones I had tried to train. The men of the tribe. And I was one of them. I was a warrior, a great warrior. I would help protect the earth kingdom from the fire nation. I would one day be chief in my own right. It was my turn to show that I not only was I a warrior, but I was also a leader, a man, and one day I would be chieftain.

Madison had inspired me, I wasn't going to lie. The thought of being heroes was something I had wanted all along, but we had gone too far. After discovering what I had done my freedom fighters left me. All but Smellerbee and Longshot. My two oldest friends. The first freedom fighters beyond myself. None of us ever used our real names anymore. We were Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot. Those were our names and those were who we were. A team, a family, companions.

* * *

 

We were heroes

We were warriors

We were protectors

We were guardians

We were lovers

We were friends

We were family

We are one

* * *

 

Maddi

After the shop was closed for the day Katara and I sat around a table talking to Zuko and Iroh.

"We need to get King Kuei out of there. Most of the Dai Li will be busy taking out the generals and larger officials along with the counsel that will leave us just Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula to deal with." I started running my finger around the crude drawing of the palace.

"But then what? If we do defeat them where will we go? None of us will be able to get out of Ba Sing Se."

"We just need to get out of the palace," I explained, "Once we are out. We can head down. The others should hopefully be coming towards us. We'll need a signal. A large bolt of fire will do if we see Appa. That should attract their attention. Then we get on Appa and get out of there."

"Your plan is quite vague, are you sure that it will work?" I shook my head at Iroh's wizened voice.

"No, I'm not. But it is the best we have. I've heard it said somewhere that no plan survives after engaging the enemy. The less plan, the more leeway we have for changing it."

"And the more that can go wrong." Iroh warned, "What you said is true, but a stricter plan allows for everyone to know what is supposed to happen." I sighed but nodded. I was scared out of my wits, and I didn't know as much strategy as Iroh did. While Iroh corrected my plan, building up a distinct strategy I allowed my mind to wander, my eyes flicking over to Zuko. He was thoroughly involved in his uncle's planning, but when compared to the Zuko from the original timeline I liked this one much better. He thought more, was more well rounded, he was happier too and less confused. Could I have created that change? Was it my doing that had made him a happier, better person? I smiled. No, I may have pushed, but it was Zuko himself who did the rest.

"I read that scroll." I jerked and looked at him in surprise. Iroh and Katara fell silent to watch the conversation.

"That's good... did you like it?"

He nodded, "It was helpful." I smiled.

"Good." Katara's eyes lit up, and she grinned. I shook my head. I wasn't even going to ask about what she was thinking. Iroh coughed another strange look in his eyes. He looked almost... smug. I was clearly missing something, but I could ask about it later. Right now we needed to focus on getting the king out of the palace.

The four of us tore through the palace. I was breathing heavily. A week unconscious is a good way to lose muscle tone. The sad thing was that I was still probably twice as fit as I had been when back home. The palace was empty and we made our way to the throne room. As expected there was Mai and Ty Lee. We didn't do anything the four of us. Just stood there as Ty Lee and Mai moved into position.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" King Kuei asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between the four of us and the two 'Kyoshi warriors'

"Those girls are imposters." I snarled pointing at Ty Lee who just grinned.

"What!" As if that was their cue both Ty Lee and Mai sprung into action. I darted away, while Iroh and Zuko took on Ty Lee and Katara went after Mai. It was my job to get the king in and out. I grabbed his hand and practically threw him off the dais.

"Come on we need to get out of here." A knife sailed towards my head, but I stopped it with a slash of a fan.

"Sounds good."

"I don't think so." A voice said, stepping out from behind a curtain. Luckily I was planning for that. I didn't need to say a word. Katara flew past me in a flurry of movement and engaged Azula while Zuko distracted Mai. I noticed Mai fumble slightly out of the corner of my eye. She still had feelings for him I realized. Wincing slightly at that realization I drag the king out of the throne room. I was a little put out about not being included in the battling, but both Iroh and Katara had a good point. Someone had to get the king out of there and I, unfortunately, was not up to standard.

"Where are we going?" Kuei asked as I continued to drag him through the palace.

"Out. Unless you want to end up in a jail cell." To my shock when he spoke it wasn't to me.

"Good Basco, I knew you would come, good boy." I spun. As expected the bear was following us at a slow lumber. Twitching in frustration, I went to grab Kuei when he stopped me.

"We can ride Basco." I eyed the bear suspiciously but nodded and clambered on behind the king. Basco roared and suddenly jumped into a full run. I shrieked in shock and fear as he pelted through the palace. With the two of us on his back, Basco was running close to the same speed, we had been before. Except when we had been running there was less danger of falling off. That was it I was never riding a bear again, I didn't care what sort either.

Basco kept running until he was outside the palace and there he stopped. I slid off, as did the king.

"Come on we need to keep moving." Kuei nodded, and we started out. We had barely walked a quarter of a block before Katara, Zuko and Iroh came tearing out of the palace after us.

"Everything okay?" I asked as I picked up speed to keep pace with Katara. She nodded.

"Ty Lee was injured, Mai stayed behind, and Azula isn't going anywhere for a few minutes."

"Good."

"What are we going to do if the others don't come?"

"Fly by the seat of our pants," I replied, earning a strange look from those around me.

"Oh shut up it's a saying where I come from." We fell silent. The running was hard work, and after a little, we had to put the king back on Basco. Neither of them was fit, at all.

We had just made it into the middle ring when Kuei saw Appa. I laughed delightedly as two giant pillars of fire shot into the sky, alerting the bison and turning the entire street around us into a panicked mob. We waited, eyes still on the look out for danger while everyone else on the street vanished into their houses or to one of the other rings. Appa landed with a dull thump and promptly covered Katara and me in saliva from a giant bison kiss. Aang jumped off Appa's head. Toph was sitting on the saddle, staring vaguely into the distance, but listening intently.

"What's going on?"

"Azula has staged a coup we got the the King out," I explained, as Katara showed both Basco and Kuei up Appa's tail and onto the saddle. It was strange to notice that Basco only took up as much space as Sokka normally would.

"Where's Sokka?"

"Still with the water tribe warriors. I didn't realize anything was wrong until I saw the fire."

"You mastered the avatar state?" Aang nodded before sending Katara, a look not dissimilar to that of a kicked puppy.

"We can chat later." Zuko insisted. "We've got company." Turning in the direction he pointed I saw several dozen Dai Li agents come flying down the hill towards us.

"I got this," Toph shouted, jumping off Appa as Katara climbed on. She took a bending stance, Aang to her left and Zuko her right. Iroh and I looked at each other.

"I'm getting on Appa only if you are," I told him plainly. Iroh laughed, but his eyes strayed to Zuko.

"He'll be all right," I told the old man, noticing how his hair had become a paler shade of gray and how he was going bald. Iroh nodded and clambered up Appa. I followed right behind. The three standing in front of Appa began to back up and tore off. The Dai Li were very close, firing large rocks at us. Aang ripped through one while Toph shot the rest to the ground. Aang bounced to Appa's head, and Toph was halfway up his tail when the bison took off. There was a cry as Zuko desperately clung to the end of Appa's tail. Toph and I both reached down, dragging the fire nation prince onto the saddle.

As we flew away, I looked at Aang.

"We need to pick up Sokka," I stated firmly. Everyone nodded, and Aang steered Appa towards Chameleon Bay.

* * *

 

Sokka

I was woken by the alarm going off. Shooting awake I grabbed my boomerang and shot out of the tent that I was sharing with two other men. The men stood, waiting. Just outside our borders, a man appeared. He was a few years older than me and clearly of earth kingdom origin. He raised his hands up in the air.

"My name is Su Sen and I am looking for Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."


End file.
